There is no rulebook or past experience on the same scale of COVID-19 to apply to modelling how travel in the marine and energy sector might look for the long term.
As an industry we have gathered significant intelligence and learnings to aid tackling the kind of global disruption that we expect to remain on the horizon for some time. But the unknowns remain the unknowns, and whilst science races to find vaccines, understand transmission patterns and the biggest risk factors, global commerce has to continue.
The simple measures in place aiding our crew travellers to feel safer are not without implication. As airlines move towards no longer selling middle seats, and hotels have to accommodate social distancing, their pricing models will change to reflect the reduced capacity.
Planning for crew members’ time on duty that incorporates quarantine durations almost as long as a working contract brings yet more cost.
As costs soar, all businesses are under pressure to find ways to be effective. Outsourcing functions that are not a core competency is just one way in which many organisations respond.
TMCs are gearing themselves for more flexible contracts, allowing for scaling up and down as demand changes. Addressing the right balance between increasing costs and duty of care is just one area in which an experienced TMC can support mining organisations to protect their people, and their operations.
To a mining company, having a partner with an absolute specialism in their sector is essential. Organisations with offshore travel at their heart will undoubtedly require greater support from their TMC partners to navigate all the elements of a travel programme that will change. From possible immunity certificates, to increased transit time planning, the logistics for planning travel look to increase and become more complicated. Being able to deliver against these challenging parameters, as well handle inconsistent approaches to safe travel protocols in airports worldwide so that company policies are adhered to, will all be part of the new normal for TMCs.
ATPI Mining & Resouces holds the knowledge required to adapt to travel operations in a post-pandemic world where COVID-19 is an ever underlying threat. As an industry leader, adapting to new normals for us also includes working with airlines and border agencies to prioritise routes and solutions for those peforming critical operations.
And that is just the beginning.
