Media Contact:

Louis Smyth

On-site at NBAA: (713) 306-3269 lsmyth@univ-wea.com

Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. Reviews BizavTips for

Attending the 2014 Winter Games

Houston (Nov. 13, 2013) – Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. is recommending that business

aviation operators planning to attend the 2014 Winter Games should anticipate assorted

operational challenges - including lack of aircraft parking availability; Customs, Immigration and

Quarantine (CIQ) clearance; and aircraft services options. The games will take place Feb. 7-23,

2014 in Sochi, Russia.

According to Jerri Banks, Team Manager, ELATE Team, Universal®, operators should initiate

trip planning for the events with their third-party provider and local ground handler without

delay.

The primary airport to consider for this event is Sochi International Airport (URSS); however,

the general aviation (GA) terminal is not ready, and should be completed by late November

2013. There are two official ground handlers at URSS for general aviation flights. Most Russian

business aviation support companies will use their own personnel on the ground, as permitted by

the Federal Security Service (FSS).

“Russian landing permits and airport slot allocations will be strictly controlled by FSS,” said

Banks. “Most landing permits will be handled no earlier than Nov. 1, 2013, so it is recommended

that business aircraft operators provide as many details regarding the purposes of their flights as

early as possible in order to facilitate permit processing.”

All crew members must have valid Russian visas prior to arrival. “Operators should plan on

about two months’ lead time to arrange business visas for the Games period,” advised Banks.

“CIQ clearance at URSS will likely not be available, except for governmental operations. GA

aircraft will need to use another location as an airport of entry prior to proceeding to Sochi.”

Hotel arrangements via third-party providers are not possible in Sochi. All hotel rooms in the

area were pre-booked about two years ago by the Sochi Olympic Committee (SOC). Local

transportation and in-flight catering requirements of any kind must be arranged through SOC or

via one of the ground handlers at URSS, because it is not possible to arrange these services via

third-party providers.

“Operators should be advised that the official alternate airport for URSS is Krasnodar

International Airport (URKK), where about 50 aircraft parking places are available,” said Banks.

“Other alternates to consider are, Stavropol (URMT) and Rostov (URRR). It may also be best to

look at alternate airports for aircraft repositioning farther away from the immediate area.”

For more information on the Winter Games, as well as other business aviation operational

information, visit http://www.universalweather.com/blog .

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About Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc.

You have a simple mandate: make every trip successful – no matter what. And your job isn’t

getting any easier. You have to manage stakeholders’ expectations, stay on top of regulatory

changes, be prepared for when the unexpected happens– and do all of this with fewer resources.

By working with Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc., you have the ability to set pre-trip

expectations, understand and anticipate regulatory changes, and access to a global community

that can adapt and execute when trouble strikes. Keep the guarantees you make to your

organization by relying on Universal’s complete trip management services – customized trip

support, fuel management through UVair®, worldwide ground support from Universal

Aviationsm

, online flight planning, safety management, data link, scheduling software, and much

more.