Istanbul (Jan. 16, 2020) – Universal Aviation, the worldwide ground support division of Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc., announced the continued expansion of its global network with the opening of Universal Aviation Turkey, based at Ataturk Airport (LTBA) in Istanbul and providing supervisory ground support for business aircraft at all airports across Turkey. Univerasl Aviation Turkey is a partnership between Universal Aviation and Ferda Yildiz and Kaan Air locally.
The decision to expand into Turkey was based on increasing customer demand for operations into Turkey and better service levels on the ground that what has previously been available.
“Turkey, and Istanbul in particular, is a rapidly growing business aviation market with good infrastructure and potential for growth, but it also continues to be a challenging destination for our customers due to service levels, parking availability and operating restrictions,” said Greg Evans, Chairman, Universal®. “Our clients told us they need faster response times and higher quality service on the ground, more transparency in pricing and quicker parking confirmations in Turkey. By directly providing ground supervision for our clients throughout Turkey, with our own professionals trained to our global standards, we are better positioned to reduce the inherent operating risks and ensure the success of their missions.”
With the opening of the new Istanbul Airport (LTFM) in 2019, all commercial airline traffic is now diverted from LTBA.
“We decided to base our Turkey headquarters at LTBA because it is now the best airport option for business aviation operators in Istanbul,” said Evans. “With no commercial traffic, arrivals, departure, and taxi times are significantly faster. LTBA is also much more conveniently located to Istanbul’s city center, and provides greater operational flexibility in terms of both parking, slots, scheduled maintenance options, and customer preference to the airport’s general aviation terminal.”
Universal Aviation in coordination with Ferda Yildiz and Kaan Air is also able to offer helicopter transport from plane side to many destinations in town (and vice versa), or point to point for business meetings, avoiding the very challenging Istanbul traffic.
“Looking ahead, 2020, is going to be an exciting year of growth for Universal and our Universal Aviation network, as we continue to expand to high-risk, high-stress locations,” said Evans.
The addition of Universal Aviation Turkey extends the Universal Aviation network to 18 locations in the Europe, Middle East and Africa Region. Universal Aviation also has 17 locations in the Asia-Pacific region and 19 in Latin America for 50+ locations across 25+ countries.
For more information on Istanbul ops, read our Istanbul Destination Guide blog authored by Universal Aviation Turkey General Manager, Gokmen Sendag.

About Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. You’re counted on to make every trip a success, but you don’t have to do it alone. Reduce your operating risk and stress by accessing a global community of resources dedicated to helping you prepare for unforeseen events, navigate the ever-changing regulatory environment, and manage your stakeholders’ expectations. Keep your organization moving and ensure mission success with complete and customized trip management services – coordinated through your dedicated trip support team, or online and on your Apple® iPad® via uvGO. For more information, contact worldwide sales at +1 (800) 231-5600 ext. 3300 (North America) or +1 (713) 944-1622 ext. 3300 (Worldwide).
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For photos and more information, visit https://www.universalaviation.aero/ground-support-locations/turkey/istanbul/LTBA/.https://www.universalaviation.aero/ground-support-locations/turkey/istanbul/LTBA/

A new study identifies the non-native species most likely to ‘invade’ the Antarctic Peninsula region over the next decade. It provides a baseline for all operators in the region to look at mitigation measures. The study is published in the journal Global Change Biology (13th January 2020).

Fragile polar biological communities in marine and terrestrial Antarctic habitats are vulnerable to invasion by species from other parts of the world.  In some cases they can have devastating effects. Lead author Dr Kevin Hughes, an environmental researcher at British Antarctic Survey (BAS), worked with an international team of researchers to identify which non-native species are most likely to threaten biodiversity and ecosystems in the Antarctic Peninsula region.

The team studied hundreds of academic papers, reports and databases, to find species most likely to invade the Antarctic Peninsula region. Of the 103 species considered in detail, 13 were identified as most likely to invade. 

Dr Hughes says: “The Antarctica Peninsula region is by far the busiest and most visited part of Antarctica due to growing tourism and scientific research activities.  Non-native species can be transported to Antarctica by many different means.  Visitors can carry seeds and non-sterile soil attached to their clothing and footwear.  Imported cargo, vehicles and fresh food supplies can hide species, including insects, plants and even rats and mice.  Marine species present a particular problem as they can be transported to Antarctica attached to ship hulls. They can be very difficult to remove once established.”

BAS marine biologist and co-author Dr David Barnes says:

“Marine invertebrates such as mussels and crabs are top of the list of species considered most likely to invade the Antarctic Peninsula region, but flowering plants such as button weeds (e.g. Leptinella scariosa) and mites and springtails were also identified. We know mussels can survive in polar waters, and can spread easily.  When they establish they can dominate life by smothering the native marine animals that live on the seabed.” 

Some of the sub-Antarctic islands such as Marion Island and South Georgia have already been invaded by rats, mice or other vertebrates. However, this is not expected to happen on the Antarctic Peninsula anytime soon.  

Professor Helen Roy, an ecologist at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology who oversaw the study, says: 

“We think the conditions in the Antarctic Peninsula region will remain too extreme to allow rodents to colonise outside.  However, rats and mice could survive by hiding within research station buildings, so everyone needs to remain vigilant for droppings and gnaw marks”.

Some non-native species have already established themselves near research stations and visitor sites.  Eradication of invasive species is possible but has proven difficult and costly.  Professor Roy continues:

“It is critical to ensure that comprehensive biosecurity checks are implemented by all visitors coming to the area to prevent invasive non-native species getting to Antarctica in the first place.  Only then will we be able to reduce the risks and protect these amazing, but vulnerable Antarctic communities from the threat of invasive non-native species.”

This study was funded by the UK Government through the GB Non-Native Species Secretariat and Natural Environment Research Council (NERC-UKRI), and includes scientists from Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Ireland, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom (including its Overseas Territories of the British Antarctic Territory, Falkland Islands, South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands and Tristan da Cunha) and the United States.

Ends

Invasive non-native species likely to threaten biodiversity and ecosystems in the Antarctic Peninsula region by Kevin A. Hughes, Oliver L. Pescott, Jodey Peyton, Tim Adriaens, Elizabeth J. Cottier-Cook, Gillian Key, Wolfgang Rabitsch, Elena Tricarico, David K. A. Barnes, Naomi Baxter, Mark Belchier, Denise Blake, Peter Convey, Wayne Dawson, Danielle Frohlich, Lauren Gardiner, Pablo González-Moreno, Ross James, Christopher Malumphy, Stephanie Martin, Angeliki F. Martinou, Dan Minchin, Andrea Monaco, Niall Moore, Simon A. Morley, Katherine Ross, Jonathan Shanklin, Katharine Turvey, David Vaughan, Alexander G. C. Vaux, Victoria Werenkraut, Ian J. Winfield and Helen E. Roy is published in the journal Global Change Biology here

Notes for Editors:

Issued by the British Antarctic Survey Press Office.

Senior Communications Manager Athena Dinar amdi@bas.ac.uk tel. +44 (0) 1223 221441, mobile: +44 (0)7909 008516

Images are available on request.

Table 1. List of the invaders most likely to impact the Antarctic Peninsula region in the next 10 years.

No.	Species	Common name	Broad Group
1	Mytilus chilensis	Chilean mussel	Marine invertebrate
2	Mytilus edulis	Common blue mussel	Marine invertebrate
3	Protaphorura fimata	Springtail	Terrestrial invertebrate
4	Nanorchestes antarcticus	Mite	Terrestrial invertebrate
5	Halicarcinus planatus	Flattened crab	Marine invertebrate
6	Ciona intestinalis	Sea vase	Marine invertebrate
7	Leptinella scariosa	A buttonweed	Terrestrial plant
8	Botryllus schlosseri	Colonial Ascidian	Marine invertebrate
9	Carcinus maenas	European shore crab	Marine invertebrate
10	Undaria pinnatifida	Asian kelp	Marine algae
11	Leptinella plumosa	A buttonweed	Terrestrial plant
12	Chaetopterus variopedatus	Parchment worm	Marine invertebrate
13	Mytilus galloprovincialis	Mediterranean mussel	Marine invertebrate

• Antarctic is governed through consensus by an international consortium of nations through the Antarctic Treaty System. 
• Nations operating scientific programmes and regulating tourism and fishing activities in Antarctica are required to maintaining high environmental standards. 
• The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty prohibits the introduction of any non-native species, unless if is for scientific purposes and a permit has been issued.
• The British Antarctic Survey has put in place biosecurity checks and measures to reduce the risk of non-native introductions.

British Antarctic Survey (BAS), an institute of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), delivers and enables world-leading interdisciplinary research in the Polar Regions. Its skilled science and support staff based in Cambridge, Antarctica and the Arctic, work together to deliver research that uses the Polar Regions to advance our understanding of Earth as a sustainable planet. Through its extensive logistic capability and know-how BAS facilitates access for the British and international science community to the UK polar research operation. Numerous national and international collaborations, combined with an excellent infrastructure help sustain a world leading position for the UK in Antarctic affairs. For more information visit www.bas.ac.uk

The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) is a centre for excellence in environmental science across water, land and air. Our 500 scientists work to understand the environment, how it sustains life and the human impact on it – so that together, people and nature can prosper.

We have a long history of investigating, monitoring and modelling environmental change, and our science makes a positive difference in the world. The issues our science addresses include: air pollution, biodiversity, biosecurity, chemical risks, extreme weather events, droughts, floods, greenhouse gas emissions, land use, soil health, sustainable agriculture, sustainable ecosystems, sustainable macronutrient use, and water resources management.

The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology is a strategic delivery partner for the Natural Environment Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation.
www.ceh.ac.uk    @UK­_CEH

The latest edition of Business Airport International is now available to view online.

To view your free online edition use the following link:-

http://journal-download.co.uk/digitalmagazines/BAI/BAI01JAN2020/page_1.html

If you would like to register for your free copy you can do so by clicking below:-

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Over five million passengers travelled through London City Airport last year, making 2019 the busiest year in the airport’s history.

Publishing its official annual passenger figures, London’s most central airport announced that a total of 5,100,025 passengers flew in to and out of the airport in 2019. The figure is a year-on-year increase of 6.3 percent which has been driven by the launch of new routes combined with additional flights and larger aircraft with more seats on existing routes.

Richard Hill, Chief Commercial Officer, said:

“2019 was a very successful year for London City Airport, with increased demand from passengers and airlines, the launch of new routes and expansion of others, and continued high scores for passenger satisfaction. It demonstrates that the combination of speed, convenience, excellent customer service and connectivity to and from the heart of London continues to be a recipe for success.

“That is why we are investing half-a-billion pounds in the transformative City Airport Development Programme to increase capacity and improve our facilities for passengers and airlines. This will ensure we can play a greater role in supporting London as an international destination for business and leisure, while also creating more opportunities for people in East London.

“At the same time, we are working on becoming the most sustainable airport in the UK and our Carbon Neutral accreditation announced last month is a significant milestone in that journey. With progress on so many fronts, and new routes to San Sebastián and Dundee already announced, 2020 is shaping up to be another successful year for London City Airport.”

The most popular route remains Amsterdam, with a total of 664,621 passengers travelling between the Dutch capital and London City Airport in 2019, representing an increase of 6.9 percent on the previous year. Edinburgh (511,116) and Dublin (460,132) continue to be the second and third most popular routes respectively.

Impressive growth on key domestic routes is evidence of the increasingly important role London City Airport plays in the United Kingdom, providing fast and frequent connections between central London and the regions. Passenger numbers were up on routes to Belfast (14.7%, 210,936), Glasgow (10.2%, 252,980) and Edinburgh (3.3%, 511,116). The addition of a new Dundee route in 2020 strengthens this.

Overall, growth in passenger numbers was driven more by new markets and seasonal leisure-oriented routes, than by many established routes. This demonstrates the diversification of the airport’s customer base and increased relevance in the leisure market, which includes tourists using the airport as the most convenient gateway to visit the capital and the rest of the UK beyond. Based on the latest Civil Aviation Authority data, leisure passengers account for 55 percent of people travelling to and from the airport. This would amount to 2,828,374 passengers in 2019.

The launch of LOT Polish Airline’s routes to Budapest, Vilnius and Warsaw brought an additional 194,000 passengers through the airport. British Airways’ subsidiary, BA CityFlyer, continued to drive growth as the airport’s largest airline partner with an additional 195,000 passengers generated through additional aircraft and improved load factors, the launch of its Munich route and increased operations to Rome (FCO), Zurich and Edinburgh.

Additional flights by Dutch flag-carrier KLM, the launch of Air Antwerp’s new service with a KLM codeshare, and Flybe’s deployment of larger aircraft on some Edinburgh and Belfast flights, also generated extra seats and passengers.

Ends.

Notes to editors

Top 10 Routes

Rank	Route	2019	2018	Growth
1	AMS	664,621	621,803	6.9%
2	EDI	511,116	494,776	3.3%
3	DUB	460,132	480,895	-4.3%*
4	ZRH	429,019	420,608	2.0%
5	LIN/MXP	354,171	361,081	-1.9%**
6	FRA	266,747	248,780	7.2%
7	GLA	252,980	229,474	10.2%
8	BHD	210,936	183,965	14.7%
9	GVA	190,308	195,001	-2.4%***
10	RTM	177,090	172,551	2.6%

* Due to switch in operation from cityjet to Aerlingus with fewer frequencies

** Due to a runway closure for several months over the summer and flights landing at MXP instead

*** Due to reduced operations by BA CityFlyer over the summer months when the airline utilised its slots for other, leisure routes

Business / Leisure Passengers

Business / Leisure passenger split (45% / 55%) is based on Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) latest data available, period Q4 2018 to Q3 2019.

Applied to 2019 total passenger numbers, this would represent 2,271,651 business passengers and 2,828,374 leisure passengers.

Contact:

Media@londoncityairport.com

Joe Rankin, Head of Communications

+44 (0)7936 342 656

Joe.Rankin@londoncityairport.com

• Air BP rolls out its Airfield Automation digital platform across São Paulo state, which helps to reduce the risk of misfuelling.
• Available now at six new locations: GRU, MAE, RAO, VCP, HBR and HLC

Air BP, the international aviation fuel products and service supplier, has completed the roll out of its innovative Airfield Automation digital technology across São Paulo state, Brazil. It is estimated that around 150 of Air BP’s airport and operator customers will benefit from the new technology which aims to enhance safety, reliability and compliance in airport fuelling operations. This includes many general aviation customers for whom the risk of misfuelling is considered greatest.

Brazil is known as South America’s most influential aviation market, with one of the biggest business aviation fleets in the world, a large proportion of which are based in São Paulo. The city is also home to Brazil’s largest fleet of helicopters. Air BP is the supplier at Helicidade São Paulo, one of the largest specialised helicopter service centres in the country, and HBR São Paulo.

Air BP customer, Marco Antônio Beolchi Adami, Captain at Rio Bonito Comunicação, Helicidade São Paulo said: “Since we started using Air BP’s Airfield Automation platform in August, the fuelling process has become much more streamlined. It is faster and more efficient. Refuelling and turnaround times can be tight when there are two flights close to each other, and the pilot has a short time to land, refuel, do the post-flight and pre-flight checks and then has to take off immediately. With this technology, we now have an extra layer of safety to help prevent misfuelling. It’s a very welcome addition to the location. I am very happy to see that.”

Ricardo Paganini, Air BP general manager, South America, said: “We are pleased to have successfully installed Airfield Automation in São Paulo and look forward to extending the roll out across Brazil in the coming months. With this new technology, we are playing our part in helping to ensure that the fuelling process is fast, efficient and safe. Misfuelling is one of the biggest risks we face in our industry; our global solution is good news for Brazil and good news for our industry.”

Air BP’s cloud-based platform is designed to prevent misfuelling by enhancing safety, reliability and compliance in airport fuelling operations, while providing data in real time to airline customers.  It is the first commercially deployed system in the world to provide an engineering barrier to actively help prevent misfuelling.

The platform consolidates the data related to airport fuelling operations and works via an app on a handheld device in the fuelling vehicles. The ‘safe2go’ app captures fuel volume readings and provides fuel grade checks to add an additional misfuelling barrier. It then electronically captures customer details which are confirmed with an electronic signature from the pilot or airline representative. By using this automated, end-to-end, paperless system, accuracy is enhanced and any potential miskeying errors minimised.

In addition to the enhanced safety barriers, aircraft operators will also benefit from faster, more comprehensive and more accurate fuelling and delivery data. The cloud-based technology will enable Air BP to offer increasingly integrated information to customers, such as delivery records and precise delivery timings.

Air BP markets fuel at 28 locations across Brazil, providing fuel and services to general aviation, commercial aviation and military operations.

About Air BP

As the aviation division of BP, Air BP is one of the world’s leading suppliers of aviation fuel products and services. We have been investing in the aviation industry for over 90 years to keep people flying safely around the world. We supply around 6.6 billion gallons of aviation fuel a year; fuelling over 6,000 flights a day at over 800 locations in more than 55 countries – that’s more than four planes a minute.

Our customers include commercial airlines, the military, business and private aircraft owners, airports and airfield operators. We have a wide range of services to support our fuel offer including the design, build and operation of fuelling facilities, technical consultancy and training, low carbon solutions, the Sterling Card for efficient general aviation refuelling and innovative digital platforms to increase efficiency and reduce risk.

For more information, go to www.airbp.com

Further enquiries

Emerald Media, +44 1420 560094, liz.danner@emeraldmedia.co.uk

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