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

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has issued a seizure warrant for two private jets owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the aircraft, a Boeing BBJ 787-8&nbsp;and a Gulfstream G650ER, are subject to “seizure and forfeiture based on probable-cause violations of the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA) and the recent sanctions issued against Russia.”

 


Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued sanctions against it. They&nbsp;include expanded prohibitions on the export, re-export, or in-country transfer of U.S.-manufactured aircraft and aircraft parts to or within Russia without a BIS license. They also eliminate any license exception for aircraft owned, controlled, or under charter or lease by Russia or a Russian national.

 


The DOJ noted that the two aircraft—owned and controlled by Abramovich through a series of shell companies in Cyprus, Jersey, and the British Virgin Islands—were flown from a foreign country to Russia, violating the ECRA. The 787 (P4-BDL), worth approximately $350 million, was flown to Russia without a BIS license on March 4, and currently is in the UAE, while the G650ER (LX-RAY), which remains in Russia, was flown there on March 12 and 15.

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.

Seizure Warrant Issued for Two Russian-owned Jets

A U.S. seizure warrant has been issued for a Boeing BBJ 787-8 and a Gulfstream G650ER owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

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.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

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.

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