The Evans family, which also owns aviation catering provider Air Culinaire, retained the Universal Aviation chain of international FBOs and ground-handling offices.

“We looked at the three main businesses that we operated, each very successful, each with great brand recognition,” said Greg Evans, managing principal of parent company Evans Home Office. “It simply came down to where are we going to focus? Where do we feel the greatest growth opportunities are?

“It became apparent, really, that we needed to focus on the FBO business and the catering business, and that that's where our real opportunities for the future were. If we continued to hang on to trip support, we were going to have to spread a certain amount of that capital over to trip support, and we felt it was just probably in better hands with somebody else that we thought would be good custodians of it, make the investments in the trip-support space that Universal Trip Support needs and deserves.”

As part of the terms of the sale, the company was obligated to change the name of its FBO chain within three years to avoid confusion.

“[World] spent a lot of money to buy trip support, and if we decided at some point to start getting into the trip-support business again, they didn't want us to have the Universal name, so we agreed that we would sell the name,” Evans told AIN.

At BACE this week, the company is debuting its new identity. “Affinity represents where we are taking this business next,” explained Evans. “We are building on everything that has made this company successful, while pushing ourselves to keep getting better. 

“That means continuing to raise the bar on safety and customer experience, investing in our people and operations, strengthening the locations we already serve, developing new capabilities and expanding general aviation infrastructure where our customers need it.”

Among its FBOs, general aviation terminals (GATs), ground-handling offices, and supervisory agents, the company has more than 75 locations in more than 20 countries, with recent expansion in the Middle East and Latin America.

In Saudi Arabia, it recently began operations at the new GAT in Dammam (OEDF), with facilities in Jeddah (OEJN) and Riyadh (OERK) to follow, along with a centralized local control center. Ahead of the FIFA World Cup this year, the company opened an FBO at Mexico’s Guadalajara International Airport (MMGL), along with a new facility in Samaná, Dominican Republic (MDCY).

The company will begin a phased transition to the Affinity Aviation name immediately, with the first changes coming to its website, followed by facility signage and uniforms. 

“Affinity came from the idea that exceptional ground support is personal. It starts with understanding the mission, knowing what matters to the customer and bringing the right people together to make everything work,” said Sarah Evans, principal of Evans Family Office. “We wanted to create a brand that feels true to the company people already know, but also sets a clear expectation for where we are going—more connected, more personal, and always looking for ways to make the experience better.”

To emphasize that theme, the company’s new logo shows a private jet supported by a white-gloved hand, evoking the level of care and professionalism it aims to provide customers. Its purple color is a mix of the former Universal’s red and blue branding colors.