Universal Aviation First in Europe to Earn NATA Safety 1st PLST Certification

Geneva (May 12, 2009) – Universal Aviation(sm), the first ground support services company in Europe certified with the National Air Transportation Association’s Safety 1st Professional Line Service Training (Safety 1st PLST), now has four certified European locations.

Universal Aviation (U.K.) Ltd. (Stansted), Universal Aviation Dublin, Universal Aviation Shannon, and Universal Aviation France (Paris) are Safety 1st PLST certified and are the only FBOs in the U.K., Ireland and France with that distinction.

“NATA applauds Universal Aviation(sm) for taking the initiative to become the first FBO in Europe to receive Safety 1st PLST certification,” said Amy Koranda, Director, Safety Management, NATA. “Universal Aviation’s employees join more than 15,000 other safety-minded line service specialists already certified across the United States.”

“There are many vital components required in the making of a good FBO,” Sean Raftery, Managing Director, Universal Aviation, U.K. “Customer service has always been paramount, but pilots know that that goes way beyond the basic essentials of polite and efficient movement of passengers and crews through a facility. The safety of people and aircraft is seen by discerning crews as one of the highest priorities when selecting an FBO. Aircraft operators are trusting handling agents with the care of their passengers and their multi-million dollar aircraft and yet there are many accidents recorded on ramps around the globe each year. Universal Aviation(sm) recognizes the importance of the highest safety standards and have invested heavily in this area gaining NATA Safety 1st PLST certification in many locations with more to come. More and more customers are attracted to Universal Aviationsm for this reason alone.”

Jonathan Howells, Regional Director, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Universal Aviation(sm), said that developing a culture of safety is a market differentiator in the competitive FBO market
in Europe.

“Universal Aviation(sm) has a good safety record, but it’s important to earn the Safety 1st PLST certification to show that we have adopted an established and recognized set of standards as part of our overall culture of safety,” said Howells. “All FBOs should be investing in safety. It doesn’t matter how luxurious an FBO is if the aircraft is not tied down properly or the ground staff damages it by using the wrong tow bar.

“We’ve been very pleased with the results of Safety 1st PLST and how it integrates with our existing Universal Aviation(sm) safety standards. All of our locations worldwide are NATA members and we are working with several more of our European offices such as Universal Aviation in Italy, Universal Aviation in Greece and Universal Aviation in Spain to also receive the Safety 1st PLST stamp of approval.”

For more information on how to choose an FBO with strong safety standards, Universal Aviation, or Safety 1st PLST, EBACE 2009 attendees are encouraged to visit Universal Aviation exhibit # 639 May 12-14 in Geneva or visit www.universalaviation.aero.

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NATA Safety 1st is a registered trademark of the National Air Transportation Association.

As we celebrate our 50th anniversary in service to business aviation, our goal at Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc., is to become a vital extension of our clients’ flight operations teams. Universal® offers a wide range of services designed to provide business aviation operators complete support, including flight planning, weather briefings, online tools, the UVair® Fueling Card, Universal Aviation(sm) worldwide ground support, UVdatalink® air-to-ground communication, and more. Universal® has been facilitating successful trips for business aviation operators since 1959.

To learn more about Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc., e-mail sales@universalweather.com, or call (800) 231-5600 ext. 3300 (N. America Toll-Free) or (713) 944-1622 ext. 3300 (Worldwide).

Universal: Success from the word GO.

CONTACT:
Louis Smyth
N. America Toll-Free: (800) 231-5600 ext. 5713
Worldwide Direct: (713) 947-5713
E-mail: lsmyth@univ-wea.com

On-site at EBACE Contact:
Kevin Tipton
(832) 671-9436
ktipton@univ-wea.com