Press Release

Issued by Universal Weather and Aviation.

May 12, 2009

Universal Aviation sm, the first ground support services company in Europe certified with the National Air Transportation Association's Safety 1 st Professional Line Service Training (Safety 1 st 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 1 st 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 safetyminded 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 1 st PLST certification in many locations with more to come. More and more customers are attracted to Universal Aviation sm 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 has a good safety record, but it's important to earn the Safety 1 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 1 st 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 1 st PLST stamp of approval."