Mummy Mafojane | General Manager | FCM Travel Solutions | mail me |
In April 2024, when 18 months of rain fell on Dubai in a single day, more than 1,200 flights had to be cancelled, stranding over 250,000 travellers in terminals. Late last year, Cyclone Ditwah wreaked havoc in Sri Lanka during peak tourist season, forcing mass evacuations of foreign visitors. Right now, conflict in the Middle East continues to ground flights and drive disruption, further intensifying ongoing business travel disruptions.
In such situations, these events affect not only leisure travellers. They also affect business travellers, who can become stranded without a backup plan or a clear timeline for getting home. For their employers, the crisis raises a critical question: Where, exactly, are our people and how can we keep them safe amid growing business travel disruptions?
Travel risk management preparedness gap growing
The International SOS Risk Outlook 2026 report reveals that most companies cannot answer that question confidently. Specifically, the report surveyed over 860 global leaders and risk specialists. It confirms that a dangerous “preparedness gap” is widening.
International SOS, the world’s leading health and security risk services company, provides worldwide assistance for medical, security and travel emergencies. According to the report, 57% of leaders say new risks are emerging faster than they can manage them. In addition, 74% say the window for critical decisions is shrinking.
Meanwhile, only 35% feel confident they can mobilise teams quickly when it counts, especially during periods of intense business travel disruptions. If an organisation cannot locate its staff in the first hour of a disaster, it is not managing risk.
More and more companies are waking up to the importance of risk management. In our experience, the key is being proactive. Companies must invest in the right systems before a crisis hits, so they have the tools and support in place. This includes a centralised booking system, real-time safety dashboards and 24/7 travel support.
What can go wrong, often does
Another problem is that risks no longer arrive one at a time. The report found that 49% of leaders now see security, health and operational risks as tightly linked. As a result, these risks often hit simultaneously, compounding business travel disruptions. For example, a flood is also a health risk. It can also become a security concern if civil unrest follows. In addition, it creates a digital risk if systems go down at the same time.
Airspace closures have turned straightforward routes into last-minute detours and long delays. Furthermore, geopolitical instability tops the worry list, cited by 47% of respondents. This ranks ahead of cybercrime at 27%.
Meanwhile, staff members who absorb these risks are exhausted. They live in a “permacrisis” and feel worn down by inflation, conflict, climate anxiety and constant volatility. Anxiety and stress remain the most common reasons for medical assistance among business travellers. However, only 17% of companies rank mental health as a top-three concern. Therefore, this disconnect between employee experience and company planning creates a liability, particularly during prolonged business travel disruptions.
What’s the plan?
Travel risk management is not about getting your paperwork in order. Instead, it is about knowing, in the moment, where your people are and what they are facing. When disruption hits, you need a plan. You must know who is affected, what is happening, and how you will get them to safety.
This process starts with visibility. If employees book through a mix of online tools, airline apps and personal credit cards, the company has a disconnected view of their travel plans. However, if they use a Travel Management Company (TMC), those bookings live on one system, improving response during business travel disruptions.
A capable TMC should offer real-time alerts. These alerts must cover severe weather, unrest, strikes, health outbreaks and cyber incidents. In turn, the system matches these alerts against current and upcoming itineraries.
Who takes ownership?
Technology only works if someone owns the outcome. However, organisations often fail to assign ownership of travel risk.
Security teams may assume HR has responsibility. Meanwhile, HR may think the line manager is responsible. Finance focuses on cost, and legal focuses on liability. As a result, by the time the issue reaches the C-suite, it has already become a crisis, often triggered by unmanaged business travel disruptions.
Clear ownership matters more than any single tool. Someone must be accountable for the risk register, the approvals and the escalation chain. ISO 31030:2021, the first international standard for business travel risk management, provides a useful framework. It covers pre-trip assessments, traveller briefings, emergency response and post-incident support, including mental health.
Although the standard is voluntary, regulators, insurers and courts increasingly expect companies to demonstrate that they have considered these issues. However, the standard assumes that the company knows the trip is happening. Increasingly, this is not the case.
In conclusion
The “hush trip” is one of the fastest-growing blind spots in business travel. During a hush trip, an employee works from another country without informing their employer. As a result, when that person calls for help, the company has no policy to rely on, leaving them highly exposed during business travel disruptions.
Updating your travel policies to reflect today’s trends and realities is essential. In addition, companies must conduct regular risk audits. These actions go hand in hand. Disruption is not a question of if, but when. The companies that weather it best already know where their people are, and what to do next when business travel disruptions occur.
