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.

Business Aviation Services Editor

Curt Epstein

Embraer Executive Jets has reached a milestone with the delivery of its 2,000th business jet. The celebrated aircraft, a midsize Praetor 500, was handed over to an undisclosed corporate flight department from the company’s global customer center in Melbourne, Florida.
The OEM delivered its first executive jet—later branded as the large-cabin Legacy 600, a derivative of the Embraer ERJ-135 regional jet—in 2002, and then expanded its line with the addition of the upgraded Legacy 650, bizliner-class Lineage 1000, clean-sheet Phenom 100 and 300 light jets, and clean-sheet, fly-by-wire Legacy 450 and 500 midsize and super-midsize jets. In 2018, it refreshed these latter offerings with the derivative Praetor 500 and 600.
Its private jet division has seen a compound annual growth rate of 14% since its first delivery 23 years ago.
“Delivering our 2,000th business jet is more than just a milestone number,” said Embraer Executive Jets president and CEO Michael Amalfitano. “It is a powerful reflection of the strength of our product portfolio, our unwavering commitment to our customers, and the dedication of our employees who take pride in building every aircraft. This milestone cements Embraer’s position as a global leader in business aviation and serves as a testament to the popularity of our Praetor family of jets, especially among major corporate flight departments.”

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Embraer Reaches Milestone 2,000th Business Jet Delivery

OEM began private jet shipments in 2002

23 years after it began delivering private jets, Embraer has reached a milestone.

Embraer Reaches Milestone 2,000th Bizjet Delivery

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.

Jaiwon Shin is stepping down as Supernal’s CEO and head of Hyundai’s Advanced Air Mobility Division

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News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

The delivery comes four months after FAA and EASA certification

Gulfstream Delivers First Ultra-long-range G800 

Kerry Lynch

The facility is more modern than the previous LA location, enabling a larger operational footprint

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Flight activity, backlogs, transactions all up in first-half 2025

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Company raised $18.4 million through public offering in June

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News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

In this article

Embraer Praetor 500

Embraer Executive Aircraft

More In Aircraft

Hyundai Seeks New Leadership for eVTOL Subsidiary Supernal

Jaiwon Shin is stepping down as Supernal’s CEO and head of Hyundai’s Advanced Air Mobility Division

Gulfstream Delivers First Ultra-long-range G800

The delivery comes four months after FAA and EASA certification

Bombardier’s LA Production Operations Moves to New Plant

The facility is more modern than the previous LA location, enabling a larger operational footprint

GJC: Business Jet Market Trends Suggest a Growth Year

Flight activity, backlogs, transactions all up in first-half 2025

XTI Aero Touts Progress on TriFan 600 VTOL Aircraft

Company raised $18.4 million through public offering in June

ADS Celebrates Anniversary, 75th Pre-purchase Inspection

Air Doc founders combine pilot and engineering experience

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AMSL Aero and partners have received a grant worth approximately $1.9 million

IADA Survey Shows Market Confidence on Upswing

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