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

PrivateSky, the lone FBO at Southwest Florida International Airport (KRSW) in Fort Myers, has filed a lawsuit against its landlord, Lee County Port Authority (LCPA), seeking an injunction over a request for proposals that the authority <a href="https://flylcpa.ionwave.net/PublicDetail.aspx?bidID=494&amp;ret=OPEN">issued</a> on May 31 for a second FBO at KRSW.&nbsp;In its complaint, PrivateSky alleges that the retail fuel sales volumes at KRSW, which the FBO must report to the authority, are not large enough to support two FBOs and claims that this is an attempt to eventually drive it out of business following a change in LCPA leadership.
The FBO operator indicated that jet-A sales at KRSW dropped from 1.2 million gallons in 2022 to 900,000 last year, while movements declined 32%—from 9,161 to 6,227.&nbsp;Yet, according to the airport’s master plan, growth is anticipated and there is space designated for additional general aviation development.
FAA guidelines under the Airport Compliance Manual specify that all an airport sponsor requires to grant a new FBO lease is available land and interested businesses that meet minimum standards who wish to pursue it. Article 23 in the agency's airport grant assurances states, "The providing of the services at an airport by a single fixed-based operator shall not be construed as an exclusive right if both of the following apply: a. It would be unreasonably costly, burdensome, or impractical for more than one fixed-based operator to provide such services, and b. If allowing more than one fixed-based operator to provide such services would require the reduction of space leased pursuant to an existing agreement between such single fixed-based operator and such airport."
This is not the first time PrivateSky has sought legal action against the LCPA, which is not only its landlord but its rival as well. LCPA owns and operates the sole FBO at nearby Page Field (KFMY), which PrivateSky said can undercut it on pricing due to not having to pay any rent or fuel flowage fees. PrivateSky argued that LCPA illegally used government funds to build its new FBO at KMFY in competition with its own at KRSW. That <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2011-08-18/privatesky-sues-landlord-claiming-unfair-competition">2011 case</a> was dismissed by the court without prejudice after both sides agreed to pay their own legal fees.
An LCPA spokesperson told AIN&nbsp;that the agency had not yet been served with the papers in this latest suit and added that it would not have any comment once the lawsuit is received.

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