FEATURE


Cloud of uncertainty


Nobody could have anticipated the travel, logistical and other chaos that resulted from the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland earlier this year. So what can organizations do to prepare for the unexpected?


among most ordinary people. But on April 14 the situation escalated significantly when hundreds of flights were suspended as a precaution against the amount of ash being released into the atmosphere. By next morning all airspace over the United Kingdom was shut down, closing one of the world’s busiest airports and cutting off the main access routes to Europe for US travelers and the rest of the world. Shortly after, airspace would be closed across Europe, disrupting worldwide travel and leaving thousands of travelers stranded. The situation was unprecedented, and the corporate travel industry was left scrambling for answers as calls poured in from employees and internal stakeholders needing help.


T “ The corporate ” Worst-case scenario


travel industry was left scrambling for answers


“This was new territory for many companies”, says Dr Arnaud Derossi, Regional Medical Director, Assistance and Aviation at International SOS. He points to the prolonged nature of the crisis and the fact that during


he initial eruption of the volcano in March 2010 was reported via the usual news channels but didn’t generate much concern or even interest


the Easter holidays more people were away on vacation than at other times of the year. “The worst- case scenario for any aviation department is airspace closure, as it prevents any air operation from being launched”, he adds. “In this case, not only did we have to cope with a six-day lockdown of European airspace, the situation was ever-changing and heavily dependent on weather conditions, together with the decisions taken by the authorities across a number of European countries.” What’s more, the availability of accommodation and other transport such as rail or bus varied hugely. Not only did companies have to find options for bringing back employees or accommodating them abroad, they also had to ensure business continuity over an indefinite period. In a recent survey by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives of global travel managers across a wide range of sectors, 37% of organizations said their travel programs were severely impacted and 35% moderately impacted by the volcano. Not surprisingly, those whose employees fared best were those that had already done some prior planning and assessment of travel policies and procedures.


Hotline Silver Edition, 2010 7


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