Universal & Portside Set to Innovate with Trailblazing Mission Management Application

Houston (Oct. 18, 2023) – Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc., the leading global mission
management provider, and Portside, Inc., a provider of modern software solutions for the business aviation industry, announced they are collaborating on the development of an advanced, first-of-its-kind mission management application for the business aviation industry.
The new app will offer the most comprehensive set of global mission planning and management
capabilities available on the market, seamlessly integrated within Portside’s expanding range of
scheduling software solutions. It will streamline the end-to-end international mission management process by enhancing operational efficiencies, saving time and reducing overall friction that many international operators experience today.

Already in development, the new application will become the primary platform used by Universal Trip Support for managing missions, and it will be available by subscription for international operators of all sizes doing DIY missions. It will also complement and integrate
with Universal’s popular Feasibility-IQ® application, which has revolutionized how flight departments access advanced mission planning intelligence.
Universal and Portside have collaborated before, integrating Feasibility-IQ with Portside’s BART
scheduling software and Universal’s trip support data into Portside’s PFM scheduling software.
“We’ve had a good history of collaboration with the people at Portside, and they share our
passion for developing innovative solutions that solve real problems and reduce the operational
friction that our mutual clients have,” said Guido Groeschel, Executive Vice President, Digital
Product Management, Universal. “We’re excited to team up with them again to execute our vision of what the future of international mission management will be for the business aviation industry.”
“Portside is proud to embark on this transformative partnership with Universal and we are excited to work together on developing digital solutions for the trip support and mission planning segment of the business aviation industry. This partnership demonstrates our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of business aviation professionals worldwide,” said Alek Vernitsky,
CEO of Portside.
Groeschel said, in addition to working with Portside, Universal continues to aggressively pursue
additional integration partners and that Universal remains agnostic and eager to work with any
digital solution provider its customers use.
“We support more international missions than any other provider, so our customers use a variety
of different scheduling platforms,” said Groeschel. “Our focus continues to be innovation and integration – including making our digital trip planning and feasibility tools accessible to all of the different platforms our customers use,” said Groeschel.
At NBAA-BACE2023, Universal and Portside will be providing demos in Universal exhibit #C8709.

About Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc.
Flight departments partner with Universal for one reason – they need their international missions
to execute smoothly and successfully. And that’s what we help operators do best. With us, you’ll
have access to the industry’s best expertise, global resources, information, and technologies to
amplify your flight department’s capabilities, and we’ll work tirelessly with you to eliminate
sources of risk and friction from your missions. That’s why we’re trusted to manage more global
trip legs per year than anyone else and have been the industry leader in supporting international
missions for over 65 years. By partnering with us and adding our capabilities to yours, you will
be able to achieve more with your flight department than ever before.
About Portside, Inc.
Portside, Inc. is a premier provider of modern software solutions for the business aviation
industry. Portside’s cloud-based operating system for business and government aviation is
designed to support all aspects of flight operations, including scheduling and recordkeeping
(Avianis, BART and PFM product lines), fleet and crew optimization (Portside Optimizer), data
sharing, reporting and analytics (Portside Owner Portal / Budget & Planning Dashboard),
customer billing (ExpensePulse), crew recruiting (Staffing Marketplace), and crew and passenger
travel accommodations (Portside Services). Portside supports over 1,000 operators of business
jets, helicopters, medevac, industrial and government fleets, as well as fractional ownership
programs, in over 30 countries. For more information, contact us at sales@portside.aero or visit
www.portside.aero.
Apple and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the US and other countries. Universal Weather and
Aviation, Inc. is not endorsed, sponsored, affiliated with, or otherwise authorized by Apple Inc.

Paul Cremer

My name is Paul Cremer, and this marks my 42nd year working within the business and general aviation industry. Over this time, I’ve had the privilege of overseeing a diverse array of sector activities, ranging from aircraft charter and management to air ambulance services, ground operations, air traffic control, airport management, technology implementation, and the outsourcing services I currently manage.

In my role focused on delivering advisory, technology, and outsourcing services to aviation customers, I handle a wide spectrum of responsibilities. This includes overseeing International Trip Support, Operations Control Centre Services (OCC), Continuing Airworthiness Management Service (CAMO), Airworthiness Reviews, ARC Services, Aircraft Delivery and Re-delivery Support Services, Maintenance Coordination Services including AOG, Tech Ops (Maintenance Control Centre), and managing myairops software products. As the Head of Aviation Delivery, I lead the customer-facing delivery of Technology & Outsourcing products and services for the market, drawing upon a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and industry connections within Gama Aviation’s Technology and Outsourcing Strategic Business Unit.

My journey into Business and General Aviation began during my teenage years while still in school. I was fortunate enough to be welcomed into the industry, starting at a flying club, and later working at the Air Traffic Services Unit at Blackbushe Airport. There, I maintained the ATC Movement Logs in the Control Tower during weekends, solidifying my passion for aviation. Upon completing my schooling, I seized opportunities at Fairoaks Airport, where I began as Ground Crew while pursuing my Aerodrome Flight Information Service Officer’s license. Advancements in my career led me to the role of Air Traffic Services Manager.

Since joining Gama Aviation in 1996, I’ve held various positions, including Operations Manager (Post Holder), Operations & Commercial Manager, Commercial Manager, Operations Delivery Manager, Head of Business Aviation Delivery, and currently, Head of Aviation Delivery. This role encompasses Gama Aviation Group’s Gama Aviation, myairops, and FlyerTech companies.

In 2023, I was honoured to be invited to serve as the Chair of the Operations Working Group for the British Business & General Aviation Association. This opportunity allows me to contribute to industry initiatives within BBGA’s membership of nearly 200 industry companies, focusing on challenges such as regulatory compliance, Air Services Agreements, technological advancements, workforce development, operational matters, and sustainability.

Marc Bailey

Marc Bailey has spent his entire career in aviation and has worked in most areas of Aviation Services with scheduled airlines, MRO’s, military contract support and latterly with associations, government, and its agencies.

Marc represents your position in Europe (even post Brexit) – as President of ECOGAS (European Council of General Aviation Support) which maintains a voice with EASA. All the major member states are represented on the ECOGAS board. With EASA restructuring its meetings with industry, ECOGAS is now well positioned to represent our position in all areas following industry partnerships with the European Independent Maintenance Group and with ARPAS the new drone and autonomous association.

Marc is chair of the UKASF (United Kingdom Airworthiness Strategic Forum) as part of an initiative to develop Aviation Services across all aviation activities. The UKASF pulls together airlines, MROs, Rotary, Drones, and commercial GA bodies to work with CAA and DfT. The objective is for industry to take the lead to drive strategic issues to benefit all parties. We are well positioned after four years to continue our good work and with the re-established role of Chief Surveyor in the CAA we have a good focal point to do this.

Marc chairs the CAA Finance and Services Forum which allows industry in the UK to discuss in the financial plans for the CAA and the value for money delivered by those funds paid by industry. This is a new and valuable new platform for all parties.

Under recent developments Marc has formed an alliance with, ARPAS, AOPA, BHA and BBGA so that we can strengthen our voice under a joint ‘GA 4 Biz’ banner. This alliance is working to do everything possible to represent the industry’s business interests with UK government and to help realise the Government’s desire to make UK General Aviation a Global Leader in a post Brexit environment. GA4Biz – GA4Biz

The next Generation initiatives with industry and government have continued to develop with the retention platform now evolving into the “Aviation Skills Recruitment Platform”. The platform now not only offers a vehicle for those offering and seeking posts in aviation, it also provides pathways with its TalentView portion seeking to provide pathways for new entrants into our sector. The recruitment platform is being further developed to include training opportunities across a wide range of providers, from government agencies through academic bodies. Getting our next generation activities right in the UK over the next couple of years is our single most important issue which we in aviation must grab with both hands. Marc is playing a central role to help develop many of these channels.

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