
New England Patriots’ Jet Delivers Masks
To help fight coronavirus, Universal Weather and Aviation assisted in the shipment of masks from China using the NFL team’s Boeing 767.
Universal's assistance included consulting the Kraft Group and Tencent on a plan and guidelines to get permission from the U.S. and Chinese embassies, as well as leveraging Universal's contacts within the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Universal also offered technical advice to the Kraft Group, which had to equip the 767 with new avionics to make the overseas flight.
Lastly, Universal sent team member Eric Tang from Beijing to Shenzen to source and arrange a 25-member crew to load the masks aboard the Boeing widebody. Tang also coordinated delivery of the masks, which were scattered among several warehouses in Shenzen, to the airport.
In a separate announcement, Universal said it would waive certain fees—trip feasibility assessments, research, consultation services, and ground-handling setup charges—for any mission classified as a humanitarian medical supply flight.