Risk management and the reality of travel disruption

When it comes to business travel risk, the past month has been a sharp reminder that disruption can escalate quickly and have far-reaching impact. Conflict in the Middle East erupted without warning, triggering mass flight cancellations, airspace closures and rapidly changing travel advice, while leaving many companies scrambling to understand where their people were and how to support them.

This is exactly the type of scenario explored at FACTS 2025, where industry experts unpacked what effective travel risk management looks like in a world defined by uncertainty.

One of the event’s most compelling sessions on ‘Managing People & Risk’ - led by International SOS’s Medical Director, Dr Renee Petrilli, and Chief Security Officer, Dave Cameron - gave FACTS delegates a real-world look at how quickly a routine business trip can turn into a crisis.

What to do when travel disruption happens fast

The session opened with an interactive scenario based on real events.

Delegates were asked to act as a corporate crisis management team responsible for employees travelling to Madagascar during escalating civil unrest. As protests turned violent, hotels were breached, curfews imposed and communications became unreliable.

Participants had minutes to assess incomplete information, prioritise decisions and determine how to keep their travellers safe while maintaining business objectives.

The exercise highlighted a reality many organisations underestimate: crisis situations are rarely clear, orderly or predictable. Decision-makers must filter large volumes of information while acting quickly under pressure.

“Crisis situations are rarely clear, orderly or predictable”

The era of “permacrisis”

Following the crisis simulation, Dr Renee Petrilli delivered a powerful reminder that disruption is not new. What has changed is the speed and complexity of events.

Today’s operating environment is often described as a “permacrisis”, where geopolitical events, health threats, extreme weather and operational disruptions can intersect at any moment.

For businesses with travelling staff, that means risk management cannot be reactive. It must be designed into travel programs from the start.

“Disruption is not new. What has changed is the speed and complexity of events.”

In a travel crisis, human factors matter more than systems

One of the strongest themes from the FACTS session was that resilience is not just about technology or policies. It is about people.

Research shared during the presentation showed that fatigue remains one of the biggest performance risks in high-pressure environments. Teams under stress may slow decisions to improve accuracy, which can unintentionally create bottlenecks and additional time pressure later in a crisis.

Team dynamics also matter. Groups that work together regularly tend to anticipate each other’s decisions and coordinate more effectively, while organisations with strong psychological safety encourage open communication and faster problem solving.

In short, crisis management is as much about human behaviour as it is about procedures.

“Team dynamics also matter. Groups that work together regularly tend to anticipate each other’s decisions and coordinate more effectively.”

Why travel risk management matters

For many businesses, especially SMEs, travel risk planning is still seen as something reserved for large multinationals. The reality is quite different.

Even a small team travelling internationally can be affected by sudden travel disruptions, from civil unrest to airline cancellations or extreme weather events.

Working with a travel management company and an integrated risk management provider gives organisations critical duty of care capabilities, including:

• 24/7 expert travel support

• Real-time traveller tracking and communication

• Access to security and medical expertise on the ground

• Rapid evacuation or itinerary changes when conditions deteriorate

• Scenario planning and crisis response support

These capabilities can make the difference between a manageable disruption and a major incident.

Key take-aways from FACTS 2025

1. Disruption is constant. What's changed is the velocity, density and interconnectedness of events. We are living in a state of “permacrisis”.

2. Information overload is the enemy. Crises become chaotic when information arrives faster than teams can process it. Preparation reduces paralysis.

3. Fatigue is an operational risk, not just an inconvenience. It can be measured, monitored and managed. Aviation and medicine figured this out years ago. Corporate travel programs need to catch up.

4. Team familiarity is a performance multiplier. The most effective crisis teams aren't necessarily the most senior. They're the ones who know how each other thinks and operates.

5. Psychological safety saves lives. Teams that can speak up, challenge assumptions and admit uncertainty outperform those driven by hierarchy and ego.

6. Foresight beats prediction. You can't predict the next crisis. But you can run scenarios, map your exposures and build the muscle memory to respond when it happens.

Looking ahead to FACTS 2026

Sessions like this are exactly why FACTS continues to attract leaders from across aviation, corporate travel, business events and travel technology.

The event brings together practitioners who deal with these challenges every day, sharing practical insights that organisations can apply immediately to strengthen their travel programs.

If the events of recent weeks have reinforced anything, it is that disruption is not a question of if, but when.

Understanding risk, preparing teams and building the right partnerships is now essential for every organisation with travelling staff.

FACTS will return to Sydney on 25 & 26 November 2026, bringing together the experts shaping the future of aviation, corporate travel and travel risk management.

If resilience in business travel matters to your organisation, it is a conversation you will want to be part of. Subscribe to FACTS News to receive updates on the events’ agenda and speaker line-up, and earlybird deals.

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On behalf of the FACTS team, our thoughts go to all those impacted by the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.