Trade learns from crisis response Lucy Huxley


Agents and operators say the Middle East conflict has highlighted areas for operational improvement and “stress-tested” systems not fully activated since the pandemic. Barrhead Travel managing


director Nicki Tempest-Mitchell said the timing of the initial attacks on a weekend highlighted the need for instant access to data out of hours. She also plans to speak to airline


partners after agents and operators were left “out of the loop” on repatriation plans. Tempest-Mitchell told a round-


table discussion hosted by Travel Weekly and Hotelplan UK: “The war kicked off on a Saturday morning


and I realised I didn’t have reporting at our fingertips. We have now set things up to enable us to access that data far quicker. “We also realised that airlines


took control in this crisis, and sometimes operators and agents were out of the loop on repatriation flights. “We were sometimes having to


talk to customers six times a day to ensure they were informed. I plan to speak to airlines to ensure in future the agent can own the customer.” Tempest-Mitchell said she was


pleased with Barrhead’s response, including setting up a 24/7 support team, but added: “We will have a bigger response team for future crises as the initial team we set up just grew and grew.”


Disruption risks ‘mount’ as Easter getaway builds


Ian Taylor


Airports and operators were set for a busy Easter despite the disruption to travel to and via the Middle East with millions of holidaymakers due to depart abroad. VisitBritain reported more than


7.4 million UK consumers planned an overseas trip this Easter based on its research, with 12.5 million planning a domestic break. However, travellers to the EU


may face lengthy queues on entry to many destinations with airports and airlines warning of “disruption risks


4 2 APRIL 2026


mounting” due to the full rollout of the EU’s biometric Entry/Exit System. Airports association ACI Europe


and Airlines for Europe (A4E), which represents all major carriers, warned of “a continued deterioration in waiting times due to operational challenges around the rollout”, with queues lengthening since March 10 when registration of 50% of non-EU arrivals without visas became mandatory. They reported: “Waiting times


regularly reach up to two hours at peak times, with some airports reporting even longer queues despite continued use of both the partial and


full suspension of EES processes.” The associations warned “the


situation risks deteriorating further” with 100% registration required from March 31, and border authorities only allowed to suspend EES registration for up to six hours at a time from April 10. ACI Europe and A4E urged the


EC “not to normalise waiting times of one hour or more” and “to extend the possibility to fully suspend EES” throughout the summer and into winter “if the technical and operational issues are not resolved”. “Fundamental challenges remain


We will have a


bigger response team for future crises as the initial team we set up just grew and grew


Newmarket Holidays chief


commercial officer David Sharman agreed liaison and sharing of client data was an important issue, but said processes had largely worked well. He said: “One of the great


processes that kicked in was having customers’ phone numbers, with their agents’ permission, so we could contact people directly and urgently when needed. About 90% of our agent


partners have been fine with this.” However, he confirmed the


escorted tours specialist had taken lessons from the response, adding: “Operationally, this was in a lower part of our season, but it did stress-test our systems post-Covid. “Had this happened in [the


peak period], we wouldn’t have had enough people on the air element, so that’s a learning for us to address.” Titan Travel director of trade


distribution Shane Lewis-Riley said: “There have been some really good learnings about when to lean in with agent partners to offer help and when to leave them alone. Touring is a relatively small part of their business and many


had bigger issues to sort initially.” i Round-table discussion, page 12


Concerns have been raised over the underuse of automated border gates


largely unresolved”, they warned, including “persistent shortages” of border control staff, “limited use” of automated border gates and “technical issues” with self-service kiosks as well as “continued concerns over the reliability of the central EES IT system”. Business Travel Association chief


executive Clive Wratten warned EES protocols “risk creating a systemic bottleneck”. Delays at Spanish airports risk


being compounded by intermittent but indefinite strike action by ground handlers from this week.


travelweekly.co.uk


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