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

The Dominican Republic’s Punta Cana International Airport (MDPC) has implemented changes that affect general aviation ground handling there. According to Universal Aviation, third-party ground handlers are no longer allowed to operate on the field, with all services—including pre-arrival coordination, on-site coordination, meet-and-greet, and support within airport facilities—now arranged directly with the airport’s internal team.
This marks a significant change to the planning process for those operators who previously worked with a preferred handler, as they must now coordinate permits, services, and payments directly with airport owner, Corporación Aeroportuaria del Este.
Universal, which has had a presence in the island country for nearly a decade, noted that the transition began on May 1 with the closure of the airport’s dedicated FBO and the relocation of general aviation operations to the VIP terminal. It added that operators should confirm payment methods in advance of arrival at MDPC, along with updating their scheduling and dispatch procedures
For operators who prefer a traditional general aviation handling environment, Universal suggests La Romana International Airport (MDLR), less than an hour by car from Punta Cana. MDLR’s private aviation terminal houses three ground-handling providers.

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DR's Punta Cana International Airport Takes Over GA Ground Handling

All services and permits must now be coordinated with the airport team

Third-party ground handling is no longer permitted at the Dominican Republic's Punta Cana International Airport.

Dominican Republic Airport Takes Over Ground Handling

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