Supporting Travellers in Times of Crisis
In today’s unpredictable world, organisations face increasing risks when it comes to travel, from natural disasters and pandemics to political instability and conflict. While many travel risk tools exist, it is during moments of crisis that real-time, expert support becomes essential to bring your travellers home.
At Key Travel, we specialise in supporting non-profit organisations across the academic, humanitarian, and faith-based sectors. Our crisis response is built not only on the strength of our technology, but also on the experience and commitment of our people. It’s at this time our expertise and skilled teams truly come into our own, demonstrating just why we are the leading specialist TMC in the not-for-profit sector.
Below are real examples of how we have helped customers bring travellers home safely during major global events.
Evacuation of NGO Travellers from Chad
When a US-based NGO began repatriating team members from Ndjamena, Chad, they asked for our support to manage the logistics under rapidly evolving conditions.
Our teams acted immediately, as the repatriation was taking place over the coming weekend, and took the following steps:
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Monitored all passenger name records (PNRs) every two hours (minimum) for schedule changes, as there was a concern the local airport may close.
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Flagged and prioritised all emails from the NGO referencing Chad.
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All calls and emails were added to a centralised record to ensure visibility of progress across the team.
This coordination helped the NGO maintain continuity of care and ensure safe exit for their personnel during a period of instability.
Repatriation of UK Students from Russia - removing barriers to fast decision making.
When tensions in Russia escalated, a university contacted us in anticipation of repatriation enquiries from its students.
Often flights in emergency situations are more expensive and above day-to-day travel policies. Therefore, to save time seeking approval for above policy costs for each individual traveller, we discussed putting in place a repatriation policy to allow us to get their travellers home quickly.
As a result, we received a blanket PO to cover costs up to £50,000 and agreed the following:
- The names of 8 authorised bookers given clearance to make bookings under the policy.
- Approval for economy flights (direct or indirect).
- Hotel costs covered up to £100 per night, with flexibility up to £150. This could be required if students required accommodation during a flight stopover.
- Excess baggage included, where necessary (our Key Travel specialist fares were reviewed and compared when searching, as often the luggage allowance is already included or provides a greater limit at no cost).
- Seats were held in all instances during approval, to ensure availability, which was limited.
This approach removed barriers to fast decision-making and allowed students to return home quickly and safely.
COVID-19 Global Shutdown
As the pandemic unfolded in early 2020, Key Travel activated its 24/7 crisis response. The scale of our effort included:
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Contacting over 80,000 travellers across 190 countries.
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Managing more than 55,000 booking changes and amendments during the early phase when governments began to announce travel restrictions and travel began to close.
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Repatriating over 9,000 travellers affected by sudden border closures.
Nearly 30% of those repatriated had originally booked through other TMCs that were unable to support them. We were able to step in providing emergency travel options through our round-the-clock teams.
We also supported over 1,000 stranded students who had either booked travel independently or were travelling on field trips and academic placements.
Trusted Travel Support When It Matters Most
Travel risk management is not just about planning, it is about action when circumstances change. Whether navigating a conflict zone or responding to a global shutdown, Key Travel is committed to supporting the non-profit sector with responsive, informed and compassionate travel expertise.
Our teams are available 24/7, and our crisis response protocols have been shaped by decades of experience serving customers whose work takes them to some of the world’s most complex environments. If your organisation needs help strengthening travel safety and duty of care, we are here to support you - before, during and after the journey.
Additional resource links:
Case Study: Getting Traveling Volunteers Home Safe
Case Study: Travel Risk Management: Dubai Floods
Blog: What is Travel Risk Management, and why does it matter?