Since Thursday 15 April, when airspace over the UK, and subsequently Europe, was closed:
- 63,000 flights have been cancelled, and
- Rail and ferry services have reported a period of extreme demand with up to 8 times more passengers for the scheduled services
- Approximately 40,000 HRG clients were originally stranded
Against this backdrop,
- Over 300 HRG staff volunteered to work longer hours and over the weekend, taking
- 25,000 calls, through HRG’s 24 hour and emergency call lines alone, to ensure clients were looked after and reassured.
As the ongoing closure of airspace continues to impact business travellers worldwide, HRG will also continue to operate extended opening hours across Europe, with additional staff providing support on a 24 hour basis.
Clients and their travellers have been kept informed of progress in the industry and many have expressed their thanks at the handling of the situation.
David Radcliffe Chief Executive of HRG comments: "Communication at a time like this is vital. Our management information and security data has come into its own in providing our clients with corporate and individual traveller information. As a result of our established contingency services, we have also found ourselves helping people who normally work with other travel management companies."
He continues: "In the midst of this unprecedented situation, our focus is on our clients and their travellers to make sure we do everything we possibly can to mitigate their inconvenience. The priority for most clients at the moment is to repatriate their travellers and, as a result, some are introducing temporary bans for any journey that has not already commenced. To help them achieve this, we have been arranging ground transportation services across Europe and routing clients into southern Europe on flights from/to intercontinental airports. If appropriate and available, we have chartered aircraft to meet client needs. Where repatriation has not been possible, HRG has not only secured and extended hotel rooms for clients whose travellers are having an enforced extended stay, but we have also guaranteed payment on behalf of stranded clients where credit card values and ceilings have been exceeded."
- Ends -
For further information:
Sallyanne Heywood
Hogg Robinson Group
Tel: +44 (0) 1256 312624
sallyanne.heywood@hrgworldwide.com
Ed Grattan
Euro RSCG Biss Lancaster
Tel: +44 (0) 207 467 9200
Email: blhrg@bisslancaster.com
Notes to Editors:
Hogg Robinson Group plc (HRG), the award-winning international corporate travel services company was established in 1845 and operates from headquarters in Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK. Its interests include owned or controlled corporate travel services operations in 25 key driver/growth markets throughout North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, which are supported by a network of contracted partners. The HRG network extends to nearly 120 countries.
HRG’s philosophy is to focus on its clients underpinned by three differentiators – its people, its technology and its breadth of service. The company has experienced management and skilled operators together with a strong reputation for technology which it develops and owns in-house. In addition HRG is the only major travel management company to offer a real breadth and depth of services. All of which combine to serve every client around the globe and deliver value, cost savings, efficiency and innovation, without compromise.
HRG’s portfolio of clients spans a broad range of industry sectors including but not limited to Automotive, Banking and Finance, Food Manufacturing, Media and Entertainment, Pharmaceutical, Retail and Telecommunications.