Story ID: 
Universal Aviation Expands Greek Operations
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: Universal Aviation has expanded its private aviation ground handling operation in Greece with the opening of its Mykonos office.
Word Count: 257
Universal Aviation has expanded its private aviation ground handling operation in Greece with the opening of its Mykonos office. Universal has had a presence in the country since 1993, with the introduction of its 24/7 Athens headquarters that provides ground support supervision to all of Greece.

Universal Mykonos, which opened just ahead of the peak Mediterranean summer travel season, provides local, dedicated company staff to directly support operators coming to the popular location, which has no FBO and no overnight aircraft parking at its small airport.

“Historically, Mykonos can be a challenging destination due to the difficulty of obtaining slots and then coordinating parking for the aircraft off the island,” said Yiannis Arkoulis, Universal Aviation Greece’s managing director. “With the additional challenges due to Covid, new operating protocols, and the pent-up demand this peak season will bring, we thought it was important to add our own dedicated people to the island to assist with those challenges.”

In addition to slot coordination, the company’s staff will assist with arranging helicopter transfers, yacht rendezvous, concierge services, and specialized on/off-airport logistics.

“From our headquarters in Athens we coordinate with our agents all over Greece to provide parking solutions, and match slots and permits between Mykonos and other Greek airports used for aircraft positioning,” said Dimitra Kiriakopoulou, Universal’s in-country director of operations and customer care. "This ensures we are providing a seamless solution for missions both to Mykonos and elsewhere in Greece, reducing the risk of errors from handoffs."