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

As Covid-induced air travel restrictions begin to ease, DC Aviation Al Futtaim (DCAF) is reporting an uptick in its private aircraft operations at Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport. The company, a joint venture between German business jet operator DC Aviation and privately-owned UAE business group Al-Futtaim, provides FBO, MRO, and aircraft charter services.

 


DCAF credits the rise to several factors, including local government tourism initiatives, strengthening business activity across the wider region, and once-premium commercial passengers who are now looking to fly on private jets due to safety and health concerns.

 


“After the lockdown eased in May, we witnessed an increase in the number of charter inquiries and bookings,” said DCAF managing director Holger Ostheimer, adding that the initial push was simply people looking to return to their home countries. “As more countries started to open up their borders, we started to see more leisure travelers. He noted that holiday destinations such as the Maldives are now trending upwards again, along with visitors from the CIS and Russia coming to the UAE for the winter months, and he is optimistic for the first quarter of 2021.

 


On the MRO front, DCAF saw an increase due to manufacturer requirements for inactive aircraft checks along with routine maintenance on airplanes that were grounded during the lockdown period, as well as return-to-service checks in preparation&nbsp;to resume operations.

DCAF Sees Rise in Private Aviation Activity in Dubai

Dubai-based DC Aviation Al Futtaim (DCAF) is reporting an uptick in its private aircraft operations at Dubai's Al Maktoum International Airport.

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