A lifelong aviation enthusiast who joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in 2007, Curt came to&nbsp;the publication&nbsp;from the broadcast industry where he was a national science and technology television reporter and producer. He writes on the FBO field, aviation finance, and sustainable aviation and occasionally contributes to&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;sister publication&nbsp;Business Jet Traveler. Curt was a member of the AINtv reporting staff that won the 2008 Aerospace Journalist of the Year award for Best Airshow Daily. That same year, he was a finalist for another AJOYA award. He earned an AJOYA for Best Business Aviation Submission in 2018 and was a finalist in that category in 2021. He received the National Air Transportation Association’s&nbsp; Aviation Journalist Award in 2012 and won a Pegasus Sapphire Business Aviation Award for outstanding journalism in 2021.
Before joining AIN, Curt worked with&nbsp;Consumer Reports’ television division, CRTV, and for several local television news staffs. An honors graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, he earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University in 1995. Curt lives in New York State with his wife and two young sons.

Senior Editor

Curt Epstein

Following yesterday’s passing of Pope Francis, Italian transportation officials are preparing for the arrival of millions of mourners, including world leaders and other dignitaries. Global trip support provider Universal Weather and Aviation reports that business aircraft operators headed to Rome should expect significant procedural changes over the coming days.
The Eternal City’s airport authority immediately implemented a suspension of all prior permission required (PPR) releases for April 24 through April 30 at Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport (LIRF) and Ciampino Airport (LIRA). All PPR requests will now be reviewed and approved on a daily basis with no advance guarantees during this period.
Once a PPR is approved, any modifications, including date of arrival, operator, or even aircraft type, will result in cancellation of the existing approval. Cancellations of approved PPRs within 48 hours of scheduled arrival could result in possible penalties of €500.
Universal Italy is awaiting the release of official notams specific to the funeral and subsequent ceremonies, which could result in temporary flight restrictions and airspace closures. As well, it expects to relay information on VIP handling protocols, diplomatic clearance requirements, and any special security measures that will affect business aviation operations.
In the meantime, the company advises operators to file all requests as early as possible, identify alternate airports outside Rome for repositioning, and allow for significant delays.

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