Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. Reviews Bizav Tips for Attending the 2014 Winter Games

HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwired - 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.

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 Aviation^sm, online flight planning, safety management, data link, scheduling software, and much more.