What Travel Risk Managers Can Learn from the World's Leading Airlines

For nearly 20 years, Sicuro Group LLC has leveraged strong relationships with local and regional commercial aviation partners to charter seats and entire aircraft for passenger and cargo transport at minimal notice and cost.

Local airlines offer extensive route networks and fleet capacity, allowing us to piggyback on existing infrastructure and benefit from their cooperative nature during critical times—whether for temporary relocations, repatriations, or full-scale evacuations.

The real difference lies in the people: our clients can check in as if it's a normal flight, and our partners handle airport procedures, secure landing permits faster, and manage every detail seamlessly.

So, what can travel risk managers learn from the world's leading airlines, especially those in the Middle East, like Emirates, Turkish Airlines, and others that regularly send truly diverse crews to destinations worldwide—including high-risk areas—without incident?

While many organizations are bogged down by complex travel risk management procedures, airlines manage global travel risks quietly and efficiently every day. Here’s what travel risk managers can take away:

1. Leverage Airline Intelligence Networks Airlines utilize extensive intelligence networks and partnerships to assess risks at their destinations. Instead of starting from scratch, travel managers can tap into this knowledge by:

• Consulting airline route maps and flight frequencies to gauge the relative safety of destinations.

• Reviewing airline travel advisories and destination guides for updated risk insights.

• Partnering with airline corporate travel teams to share intelligence.

2. Follow the Crew Airlines carefully vet accommodations, transportation, and services for their crew. Travel managers can capitalize on this due diligence by:

• Booking travelers into hotels used by major airlines for crew layovers.

• Using trusted transportation providers favored by airlines for crew and premium passengers.

• Identifying airline-approved restaurants and services in high-risk areas.

3. Adopt Airline-Style Training and Protocols Airlines have robust training programs and standardized protocols for various scenarios. Travel managers can mirror these practices by:

• Implementing pre-travel briefings modeled on airline crew briefings.

• Developing clear, actionable protocols for common travel disruptions and emergencies.

• Conducting regular training and simulations to reinforce these protocols.

4. Emphasize Routine over Exceptions Airlines focus on making safe travel routine rather than treating each trip as a unique challenge. Travel managers can adopt this approach by:

• Developing standard operating procedures for common destinations.

• Creating tiered approval processes based on destination risk levels.

• Automating low-risk travel approvals to allocate resources toward higher-risk trips.

5. Cultivate a Culture of Travel Resilience Airlines foster a culture where crew members are prepared to handle diverse situations globally. Travel managers can create similar resilience by:

• Encouraging traveler self-reliance through training and resources.

• Promoting cultural awareness and adaptability.

• Recognizing and rewarding responsible traveler behavior.

6. Leverage Technology Judiciously While airlines use advanced technology, they prioritize proven systems over chasing the latest trends. Travel managers should:

• Focus on core tracking and communication capabilities - keep it simple. "One number, one mail address for everything - with as many channels as possible, yes, include Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp - Communicate with your people how they choose, not how to dictate."

• Ensure technology enhances rather than replaces human judgment.

• Prioritize reliability and ease of use over cutting-edge features.

I think the main messages here are that we might need a reset on how we benchmark, and remind ourselves that the simplest answer is often the right answer....

What else can we learn from how airlines manage travel risks? Share your thoughts in the comments!