Press Release

Issued by Universal Weather and Aviation.

October 31, 2016

Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. has formed a new global ground transportation service joint venture, Universal Private Transport, with its long-time security partner FAM International. An independent company, Universal Private Transport, combines the worldwide business aviation trip management and logistical knowledge of Universal with the international ground transportation network of FAM.

“Schedule changes not communicated, late arrivals, the wrong size vehicle, uninformed drivers, and bad information are all common ground transport risks that can adversely impact mission success,” explained Greg Evans, chairman, Universal. “Universal Private Transport was created to fulfill our clients' request to help give them more control by bullet-proofing those issues and eliminating unnecessary risk and stress to their missions, such as an non-vetted vendor and unknown driver.”

Universal Private Transport allows users to arrange VIP ground transportation anywhere in the world, and because it works in conjunction with Universal Trip Support Services, when an operator makes a trip change, the ground transport automatically changes with it.

“Every change in a trip creates a ripple effect not just at your current destination but the next,” said Brian Leek, CEO, FAM. “Imagine your passenger decides to depart an hour early. Now the scheduler calls the trip support provider, who calls the handler, who calls the transport provider to adjust the schedule at the current location and then the handler at the arrival airport. This introduces multiple points of failure and risk, as each vendor only sees their portion of the mission.”

“Unlike a typical car service, Universal Private Transport is operated by experts who understand the challenges of business aviation,” said Chris Kim, managing director, Universal Private Transport. “We see the total scope of your mission, no matter how many destinations or legs, reducing the number of calls, vendors and risk of error. So when things change, we adjust the entire mission seamlessly.”

Universal Private Transport allows users to make ground transport arrangements and changes via phone, e-mail, SMS, or online. They can also manage preferences for receiving confirmations, driver details, and updates for passengers and anyone else on their team.

“With Universal Private Transport, no matter where in the world our clients operate, they can be confident that they will be kept informed of changes 24/7 and will receive the right vehicle, professional and courteous drivers, and clear communications from licensed and insured providers with experience in crew and VIP ground transportation,” said Evans.

For more information on Universal Private Transport, visit them at NBAA at exhibit # 2611.