Prime Trip Support has one goal: to deliver exceptional customer service, globally. Founder & CEO Ammar AlHussari explains how the young company is rising to the challenge
Aircraft operators, flight departments, pilots and passengers have a wide choice of trip support providers. Their reach, experience and size vary, but few offer the variety of services revealed by just a few minutes spent browsing Prime Trip Support’s website. Founded by industry veteran Ammar AlHussari, Prime Trip Support is a young company, but its team collectively boasts more than 500 years’ industry experience. AlHussari says that for its business aviation customers, Prime Trip Support is a one-stop shop.
“When a customer comes to us with a request, we compute their flight plans, identifying efficient, cost-effective route options. Then we plan alternates and contingencies, check the weather, obtain the required government approvals to overfly and operate within each country along the route, and handle all the permits, regulatory matters (including submitting advanced passenger information system data) and any other paperwork and requirements specific to the entire route.
“On top of that, Prime obtains slots and landing permissions, and liaises with customs and immigration officials to expedite passenger screening. And we coordinate with local ground support providers for all ground handling requirements. Our goal is to provide a white-glove service to passengers and crew.”
Given the level of care Prime delivers in the air, it comes as no surprise that onward passenger and crew transport, and accommodation, also come under its watchful eye. AlHussari continues: “We arrange standard cars, limos, sometimes secure transportation and, occasionally, helicopters. And we can assist with hotel, show and event bookings, and local tours.” Crucially, customers are also allocated a dedicated single-point-of-contact Prime Trip Support agent for the duration of their time in-country.
Prime people
Its people are the key to Prime’s success. Since it was established in August 2021, the company has quadrupled the size of its team and added an Americas Headquarters to its Dubai Global
Headquarters.
“Identifying, hiring and training staff is one of the biggest undertakings we commit to as a company,” AlHussari confirms. “We hire for attitude and train for aptitude. We believe that a person either ‘has it’ or does not. We’ve seen industry veterans of 20 and more years outshone by relative newcomers, and we’ve had our share of surprises when it comes to unlocking hidden potential. We’ve hired several all-stars with amazing interpersonal and communication abilities.
“We start by looking for solution-makers with an entrepreneurial mindset who don’t shy away from problems. And since we hire many people with extensive experience, we spend a good part of our training curriculum on improving customer service skills and out-of-the-box thinking. We believe that all staff should be empowered to ‘do the right thing’ for our clients and although we have solid standard operating procedures, we also encourage staff to ‘solve the problem’. We are a service company and customer experience is paramount.”
There is also a Prime Select network of approved vendors across multiple disciplines, including ground handling, FBO, catering, transportation and security. “We hold our vendors to the highest quality standards. When a subcontractor represents Prime, they must also represent our core values, our vision and our performance standards,” AlHussari emphasises.
The process for becoming a PrimeSelect member is exhaustive. Prime’s Vendor Relations and Procurement departments in Dubai and Houston evaluate vendors’ track records and industry reputation, audit their service quality, check for correct licensing and insurance, examine their dedication to compliance, seek client feedback, assesses financial stability and access to resources, and adherence to the Prime Trip Support Code of Conduct.
US presence
With agents and PrimeSelect vendors located globally, it is perhaps surprising that Prime opened a US HQ. “Clients want familiarity, staff who are in their time zone, speak their language, understand their needs and are aware of their idiosyncrasies. That’s why we position staff in the places that have the most importance for our clients,” AlHussari explains. He says more regional HQs are planned.
“We chose Houston for our US facility because it is centrally located, with an impressive infrastructure of major airports. In addition, Texas, and Houston in particular, has a huge aviation community and rich history in the industry. The area is flooded with qualified talent and several good schools and training programmes that produce strong potential team members.”
Private aviation is enjoying a resurgence after the worst ravages of the Covid pandemic in Europe, the US and other regions have seemingly passed, although it remains prevalent in parts of Asia. To this continuing challenge must be added the complexities of the security situation in parts of Africa, the Middle East and, most recently, war in Europe. It is in the nature of their business that Prime’s customers, which include head-of-state and other government agencies, must on occasion operate into challenging regions.
Prime therefore actively monitors the global geopolitical climate daily, collecting security data and intelligence from trusted sources and organisations around the world. “We use this to deliver hard facts and suggest smart alternatives to our clients,” AlHussari states. “We must consider general risk factors as well as the risk tolerance for each of our unique customers. Prime uses internal resources in conjunction with a global network of security and intelligence partners to deliver the safest services in each location.
“We can do everything from providing street-level intelligence to arranging secure transportation and providing aircraft and personal security. We integrate ourselves with our clients’ emergency response plans and we can shift focus in a split second to provide extraction and recovery options should the need arise. The key to operating in this new world is preparation. We do everything in our power to make sure our team, our vendors, our partners and our clients are prepared for all possible scenarios.”
Wherever they fly and whatever their requirements, AlHussari says Prime Trip Support’s commitment to its clients is as clear as it is simple: “Our goal is to provide an exceptional customer experience no matter their mission, location, or the complexity of their request.”