What we’ve learned during the Covid-19 pandemic: From an energy travel specialist
We talk to energy sector travel specialists to find out what a year operating in the Covid-19 pandemic has taught them
What an offshore travel specialist learned during the Covid-19 pandemic
A year on from the global outbreak of Covid-19 and although the pace of life has slowed down for many of us some sectors, such as the energy industry, have seen frenzied activity and continued change.
A year on from the global outbreak of Covid-19 and although the pace of life has slowed down for many of us some sectors, such as the energy industry, have seen frenzied activity and continued change.
Despite the overall resilience shown by the energy sector throughout the pandemic, there have been many challenges that those operating within the industry have had to overcome in order to keep essential operations running as normal - particularly when it comes to the movement of crew around the world.
As an organisation who remained at the forefront of repatriation missions and essential business operations, it feels like a good time to reflect back on the past twelve months and take stock of what ATPI Marine & Energy have learned - not only as a travel provider but also as a member of the energy sector.
Helen Gordon, General Manager for Aberdeen at ATPI
Zara Higgins, Head of UK Sales at ATPI Marine & Energy
We talked to General Manager for Aberdeen at ATPI, Helen Gordon, and Head of UK Sales for ATPI Marine & Energy, Zara Higgins, to discuss they lessons they have learned during the pandemic so far:
What we learned: About the industry
What we learned:
About the industry
“The energy sector has always been unpredictable, particularly when it comes to crew travel, and as such there is a great capacity to adapt and be flexible within the industry. It’s one of the reasons why travel and business was able to continue throughout the pandemic,” explains Helen.
She continues: “During the first few days of the pandemic, when so much was still uncertain, we saw how willing those in the sector were to pull together and make this new environment work. Whether it was adapting new ways of working to
accommodate homeschooling, sharing knowledge so that we were all informed or being responsive to changes in client expectations and requirements, everyone was willing to play their part.”
“We’ve seen the sector evolve as a result of the pandemic and new business models have emerged, as well as new priorities,” Zara adds. “The upheaval seems to have accelerated change within the industry, particularly in regards to technology. However, we are seeing that clients are taking a more considered approach to the
adoption of new technologies. They are willing to implement new technology, but only if it’s the right fit for them and really suits their requirements.”
“The pandemic has shown us just how resilient and adaptable our industry colleagues are and has also strengthened the bond between the team at ATPI,” Helen shares. “We’re no stranger to challenge
within the energy sector and I think that experience has helped immeasurably in overcoming the new challenges set by Covid-19.”
“The global network of offices and partners that we have in place at ATPI has provided essential support over the last year - not only to our clients but within our own organisation,” says Zara. “Not only were we
able to share information regarding complex travel requirements, we could also work together to develop new solutions such as charter flights.”
What we learned: About the role of a TMC
What we learned:
About the role of a TMC
“The pandemic has really highlighted the importance of working with a specialist travel supplier for many organisations within the energy sector,” Helen explains. “Being able to rely on experts during a time of uncertainty and confusion has been so valuable. As a result we’ve seen that the relationship between a TMC and their clients become so much stronger.”
“The safety of crew when they are travelling for rotations has long been a priority for the energy sector and so has always been something that a TMC has worked to
ensure,” Zara says. “However, the pandemic has obviously elevated this. Not only do energy organisations now need complete visibility of where their crews are, but they also need more support due to new regulations around quarantine, testing and isolation measures.”
“Our communication methods have changed throughout the course of the pandemic. Suddenly constant communication, that shared vital information in a way that was easy for clients to understand, became essential to
all operations,” Helen shares. “We now ensure that all updates are quick and efficient so that our clients feel informed but not overwhelmed.”
“Collaboration has also been key throughout every challenge,” says Zara. “Working alongside industry bodies and organisations has meant that we have been able to draw on wider knowledge of travel
and safety solutions and then apply these to the travel programmes of our own clients.”
“A very notable addition to our offering as a TMC is our charter service,” Helen adds. “As borders and airports began to close and travel restrictions were enforced by most countries around the world, it became clear that usual routes for crew travel were
no longer going to work. The team at ATPI began working with our list of trusted suppliers to provide energy organisations with a safe, efficient mode of travel in charter flights, as well as working creatively to cater to different budgets.”
What we learned:
For the future
What we learned:
For the future
“Although it has been a challenging time, the way in which we have had to operate throughout the pandemic has demonstrated some useful ways of working for the future,” Helen explains. “We have learned a lot about communication and how best to share new and complex information with our clients. For example, we hold regular webinars in order to share insight on more specialist areas of crew travel, such as passports and visas, or to address local market needs.”
“ATPI Alerts, our real-time travel alerts system, has obviously seen a huge uptake and as such we’ve developed this significantly,” adds Zara. “It’s been an essential communication tool throughout the pandemic.”
“The management of charter flights has been a huge development for us and is something we expect to see continued use of in the future,” says Helen. “We have seen just how important charter flights have become to our clients and we now have a dedicated team of charter experts to support this.”
“As an influential hub for marine and energy activity, our Aberdeen team have learned a lot over the last year and are now leading the way to provide safe travel for crew,” Helen concludes. “It has undoubtedly been hard at times but we feel that we’ve taken some incredibly positive and necessary steps forward in what was unknown territory.”
