Dear Friends and Colleagues,
As we start 2024, I wanted to pause to reflect on a challenging and rewarding year for our industry.
My first reflection is that this is by far the most comprehensive Chairman’s Note I’ve written to update all of you on the amazing progress and tools we’ve been working on, and I encourage each of you to invest a little time reading and clicking through the informative links to uncover the tools available to you. It may make your life easier.
Along with our Amazing Team at Universal Houston and around the world, together with you, we successfully navigated the reopening of the Asia-Pacific region, contended with labor and supply shortages, airport congestion, and an increasingly complex regulatory environment.
All while addressing the growing focus of climate activists on business aviation, who are unaware of the enormous efforts our industry is undergoing to become more climate-friendly than ever. Our job is to continue to educate by understanding and sharing the message from great resources like NBAA’s Climbing Fast initiative.
Through our collaboration with you, we’ve successfully made meaningful improvements to further bulletproof the Three Pillars of Mission Success, reducing risk and operational friction on every mission we partner on.
Here are just a few of the highlights available to you from Universal, and we are ready to help you learn more about them.
PILLAR 1: MISSION READINESS
Operator readiness to take on any mission at a moment’s notice.
We’ve been focusing heavily on this area and will continue to do so in 2024. So many missions fail or are unnecessarily challenging from the start because not all the regulatory programs, planning, and pre-work are done before a mission request comes in.
- Enhanced 360° Regulatory Program Reviews: Our Global Regulatory Services team keeps pace with evolving requirements and voluntary programs worldwide that will enhance your operational flexibility. We offer a free consultation on this, and I strongly recommend you take advantage.
- Emissions Support: Sustainability is the No. 1 issue impacting business aviation. We continue to find ways to support new mandatory emissions programs like the Portugal Carbon Tax and offer new solutions like our Voluntary Carbon Offset program.
- Essentials Training: We have the #1 training program for Schedulers and Dispatchers in the Business Aviation industry. This is available to you, and we continue to evolve it to ensure your team is ready to face the current international operating environment.
PILLAR 2: MISSION FEASIBILITY
Having reliable intelligence to quickly assess if a mission is feasible and what’s required to execute it.
We’ve been aggressively augmenting our feasibility intelligence for Universal-managed missions and your planning needs through our powerful Feasibility-IQ Trip Support App.
- Data, Data, Data: We’re adding worldwide, deep-dive intelligence on more airports and airport data types daily and building the industry’s #1 International Trip Support Intelligence database.
- Feasibility-IQ for iPhone: Making on-demand intelligence more accessible for crew and laying the foundation for more crew-focused capabilities.
- Integrations: We’ve integrated Feasibility-IQ with BART Scheduling, and we’re just getting started, with more integrations to come!
PILLAR 3: MISSION EXECUTION
Bringing all the planning, coordination, and logistics together to deliver a perfect mission. Quickly adapting to changes and challenges along the way. Our focus continues to be on improving quality, reducing mission risk, and reducing friction. We not only want all your missions to be successful; we want them to be enjoyable and stress-free as well.
We’ve made meaningful improvements here.
- Expanded Air2Ground VIP Agent Network: To provide better personalization and attention on the ground, we significantly increased our Air2Ground VIP agent presence at international airports worldwide, giving you a dedicated go-to person at your destination.
- U.S. CBP Reimbursable Services Program: This time-saving program, providing overtime U.S. Customs services, grew rapidly in 2023, and we’re now proud to offer it at 75 U.S. AOEs – more than anyone else!
- Universal Aviation Network Growth: Added new locations in Barbados, Hokkaido, Maldives, Spain, and the Dominican Republic, expanding our global presence and ensuring better service from your Universal Team on the ground, with the same skin in the game as we have with you.
- uvGO Mission Management Platform: Added many enhancements to improve efficiencies on every mission with us, including new crew/pass self-management tools and new online flight planning capabilities.
- Air Culinaire Worldwide Upgrades: Implemented major technical updates for enhanced ordering and third-party integration, elevating the overall passenger meal experience.
As productive as 2023 was, this is just the foundation to make 2024 and beyond even greater, and we are excited about the opportunities to further serve and support your endeavors!
As always, Thank You for your friendships and support and your trust and confidence in Universal every day!
Sincere and Warmest Regards
Greg
