Global flight support provider Universal Weather and Aviation (Booth 2611) along with its long-standing security partner FAM International (Booth 1925) have launched a new global ground transportation joint venture, Universal Private Transport.

The independent company will allow users to arrange VIP ground transport anywhere in the world, and since it’s tied to Universal’s trip support services, when a Universal customer makes a change to their schedule, the ground transport reservation changes as well.

“Every change in a trip creates a ripple effect, not just at your current destination but the next,” said FAM CEO Brian Leek, noting the typical chain of events that occurs when a passenger decides to depart earlier. “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.”

“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,” added Greg Evans, Universal’s chairman. “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 a non-vetted vendor and unknown driver.”

According to managing director Chris Kim, the new transport company is operated by people who understand the challenges of business aviation. “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.” Arrangements and changes can be made through a variety of methods including telephone, email, text message or online, ensuring 24-hour access.