12.3% regional growth and new Portugal presence position company for successful summer season
Geneva (May 16, 2025) Universal Aviation, the worldwide ground support division of Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc., announced today at EBACE 2025 the full integration of Safeport into its European ground handling network. With six cobranded locations now live across Portugal and Cape Verde, Universal Aviation is better positioned to support operators during the upcoming Mediterranean peak season and beyond.
Caption: Earlier this month, Universal Aviation’s EMEA team gathered in London for a war room strategy session to prepare for the upcoming European Summer Peak Season.
The strategic partnership with Safeport, originally announced at NBAA-BACE 2024, extends the Universal Aviation® brand into key points along the Atlantic corridor, including Lisbon, Cascais, Oporto, Beja, Faro, and Sal Island in Cape Verde. These locations are now fully operational under the Universal Aviation network.
“Our goal has always been to make operating into Portugal and Cape Verde seamless for our clients,” said Greg Evans, Chairman of Universal. “With Safeport now fully integrated, our customers benefit from consistent standards, deeper local expertise, and direct connectivity into one of Europe’s most important and growing regions.”
While traffic into Portugal has grown modestly, customer feedback on Safeport’s service quality has been overwhelmingly positive, with a healthy pipeline of interest building through Universal’s global sales channels.
The full integration comes as Universal Aviation reports strong performance across the EMEA region:
- Overall regional traffic grew by 12.3% year-over-year
- Growth outpaced organic market expansion by 9.1%
- Key locations such as Dublin, Northolt, and Milan posted double-digit growth
“The Safeport partnership is one part of a broader strategy to strengthen our network in line with where demand is growing,” said John Hewett, Regional Vice President, EMEA, Universal Aviation.
“With summer already ramping up, we’re ready—with expanded infrastructure, trusted partners, and data-driven insights—to deliver on every mission.”
The integration of Safeport into the Universal Aviation network adds new flexibility and capacity for customers operating in and out of Southern Europe or making strategic Atlantic crossings via Cape Verde. Combined with strong regional performance, Universal Aviation enters the 2025 peak season with more reach and resilience than ever before.
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