U.S-based charter operator Universal Jet (Stand E140) has come to MEBA looking to advance its plans to expand operations in the Middle East. According to president Michael McCauley, the company already makes frequent flights into this region but it would like to find a local partner with which to establish a more permanent presence. His long-term plan is to forge alliances with holders air operators certificates all over the world. The 17-year-old firm already has a partner in St. Petersburg, Russia, and next month it is starting a new joint venture in Panama.

In January, Universal Jet will take delivery of a Boeing Business Jet. This will join a fleet that consists of 14 Gulfstream aircraft, including a G150 and a mix of GIVs and GIIIs. The company's headquarters is in Boca Raton, Florida, and it also has bases in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Teterboro, New Jersey; and Van Nuys, California.

McCauley told