GAT SJO is exclusively available to international private operations

San Jose, Costa Rica (December 16, 2019) – Costa Rica’s first-ever general aviation terminal (GAT), named GAT SJO, at San Jose Juan Santamaría International Airport (MROC/SJO) is now fully open and exclusively available to business aviation operators. The GAT will operate under the name GAT SJO General Aviation Terminal.

Construction of the GAT began in April 2019, when Aeris Holdings selected GAT SJO, a consortium composed of Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. and local partners, to manage the new GAT. The GAT will be part of the new domestic terminal at MROC (adjacent to the main commercial terminal), an infrastructure project which includes 15,260 square-feet. Universal Aviation Costa Rica is a member of Universal Aviation, the worldwide ground handling division of Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. (Universal®).

“This is a historic day for Costa Rica and business aviation,” said Adolfo Aragon, Senior Vice President, Latin America & Caribbean, Universal®. “Private operators who have ever been to Costa Rica before should be prepared for a faster, better, and more secure experience for private aircraft travelers.”

Features of GAT SJO include:

  • An exclusive VIP experience for private operators
  • Onsite Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ)
  • Reduced ground time from plane to car
  • Accessible through your ground handler of choice
  • No co-mingling with commercial passengers
  • Roof-covered access both roadside and ramp-side

Upon deplaning, private passengers will be shuttled by their handling agents a short ride from the parking area to the GAT, which will have a dedicated space for CIQ. All private aviation ground handlers, as well as home-based operators (independent owners traveling international) at MROC, will be allowed to operate through GAT SJO General Aviation Terminal.

Private operators will no longer have to clear formalities inside the airline terminal in potentially long lines, and passengers will no longer be separated from their baggage, which was previously mixed into commercial baggage carousels, adding more complexity to the operation and stress to the passengers.

For more information on GAT SJO, visit https://www.gat-sjo.com/.

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.

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