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

Business aviation provisioning provider Air Culinaire Worldwide has expanded its payment options with the acceptance of the Avcard by World Fuel, giving customers an additional option to pay for their catering orders.
Flight departments, charter operators, and flight crews that already use the Avcard to pay for aviation expenses can now use the same card, simplifying expense management.
Designed for aviation expenditures such as fueling, ground handling, and aircraft maintenance, World Fuel’s payment services offer consolidated billing, transaction information, and reporting tools to assist operators in tracking their spending. Customers enrolled in World Fuel’s rewards program can also earn points on qualifying purchases through Air Culinaire.
“Our goal is to make catering easier for flight departments and crews,” explained Air Culinaire CEO John Lee. “Accepting Avcard by World Fuel gives customers a convenient way to pay and an opportunity to earn rewards on eligible purchases.”
At NBAA-BACE this week, the Evans Family Company—the parent of Air Culinaire—also announced it has fully integrated with Airplane Manager’s platform. This allows flight departments with existing Air Culinaire accounts to place catering orders via the same system they use to manage flight schedules, with no separate integration contract required.
Users can now access the Air Culinaire ordering portal from their flight schedule to browse menus with pricing and dietary guidelines, and place orders without switching platforms. They will then receive order status updates, and the process requires fewer emails and less manual data entry, simplifying the catering process for schedulers, dispatchers, and flight crews.
“Flight departments are managing a tremendous number of details for every trip, and catering shouldn’t require an entirely separate process,” said Lee. “By connecting our services with platforms like Airplane Manager, we can make the experience faster, easier, and more efficient for our customers.”

New developments at FBOs including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

Air Culinaire Accepts Avcard, Integrates with Airplane Manager

The catering provider aims to simplify processes for customers

Air Culinaire added new industry integrations to streamline its use for customers.

Air Culinaire Accepts Avcard, Ties to Airplane Manager

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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.

Company sheds its longtime name as it moves forward

Universal Aviation Shows Its New Affinity for Bizav

Company’s new customer rebate program makes its show debut

Atlantic Aviation Ascends at NBAA-BACE

Charles Alcock

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

Swissport spinoff adds two Mexico FBOs and names new leaders

PrivatPort Brings Its FBO Network to Cancún and Tulum

Kerry Lynch

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

The company recently added two more hangars and poured more concrete for ramp space

Business Jet Rapidly Expanding Footprint at Love Field

The multimillion-dollar project will greatly increase the company’s capabilities

California FBO/MRO Desert Jet Begins Major Expansion

Amy Wilder

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.

NBAA-BACE 2026

In this article

Air Culinaire

More In FBOs

Universal Aviation Shows Its New Affinity for Bizav

Company sheds its longtime name as it moves forward

Atlantic Aviation Ascends at NBAA-BACE

Company’s new customer rebate program makes its show debut

PrivatPort Brings Its FBO Network to Cancún and Tulum

Swissport spinoff adds two Mexico FBOs and names new leaders

Business Jet Rapidly Expanding Footprint at Love Field

The company recently added two more hangars and poured more concrete for ramp space

California FBO/MRO Desert Jet Begins Major Expansion

The multimillion-dollar project will greatly increase the company’s capabilities

Bombardier Adds Line Maintenance Station in Sydney

Station is Bombardier’s 11th worldwide, second in Australia

Paragon Network FBOs Trade Best Practices in Denver

Sessions covered leadership, safety, and customer experience

Jet Access Opens New Hangar Complex in Nashville

The company operates a full-service FBO at nearby KXNX

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN