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

Universal Aviation—which will soon be separated from its parent company Universal Weather and Aviation following the latter’s <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2025-09-03/world-kinect-makes-major-deal-universal-weather-aviation">sale</a> to World Kinect—is in the midst of the most aggressive infrastructure developments in the company’s 66-year history. With more than 50 locations in 30 countries, it is continuing to expand to meet the rising demand for business aviation services.
Ahead of next year’s FIFA World Cup, Universal’s new FBO at Mexico’s Guadalajara International Airport (MMGL), the third-busiest airport in the country, is slated to open in March.&nbsp;It will feature a 22,000-sq-ft double-height terminal with private lounges, in-house customs, pilot lounge, and porte-cochère, along with 177 secure vehicle parking spaces and electric charging stations. The facility also will include a 51,700-sq-ft hangar capable of sheltering aircraft up to a BBJ &nbsp;or ACJ320.
At Madrid–Barajas Airport (LEMD), the company is <a href="Madrid–Barajas%20Airport%20(LEMD)">building</a> Spain’s first dedicated general aviation hangar—a nearly 54,000-sq-ft structure also capable of handling narrowbody bizliners.
In the Dominican Republic, Universal’s FBO <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2025-02-14/universal-aviation-partners-dominican-repubic-fbo">partnership</a> at Prof. Juan Bosch International Airport (MDCY) is nearing completion, with the remodeled facility scheduled to open by year-end. Meanwhile in Saudi Arabia, the company just announced an <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2025-10-12/universal-aviation-expands-middle-east">agreement</a> that will see its entrance into the Middle East, with operations starting up in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.
“With Guadalajara, Saudi Arabia, Madrid, and Samaná all coming online between now and late 2026, we’re adding significant square footage in general aviation facilities across four projects on three continents,” said Universal chairman Greg Evans. “All these projects will improve general aviation access and infrastructure in these countries and give us the platform to continue elevating service standards for our customers.”

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In this article

Universal Weather and Aviation

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