After almost two weeks of war, have all business travellers and expatriates left Ukraine?
Xavier Carn - Most companies have exfiltrated or advised their employees to leave Ukraine. At International SOS, we advised our members to leave the country a fortnight ago. Companies with a duty to protect to their employees, they are also trying tohelp their Ukrainian employees trying to reach extraction points at the country's borders. It's very complicated, it's a trickle. With a fairly extensive network of service providers, we are able to help a number of companies who would like us to provide logistical assistance, particularly to small groups of Ukrainian employees and their families who are trying to reach these border points. We are also working in the field of psychological supportYou can imagine the terrible impact of this situation. There is also a logistics to know what to do once they arrive at the border. The aim is to identify crossing points and to get an idea of the complexity of the wait. At some points, it can take 20 hours just to get through immigration and customs.
How did you intervene in the days leading up to the crisis, right up to the closure of air links?
Xavier Carn - Our business is based oninformation quality. So it's a question of having assistance platforms where our analysts study the dynamics, the trigger effects which could lead to a worsening of the situation. So we have been monitoring the situation for months. And when the risk of open conflict approached, we deployed incident management teams in Kiev and throughout the country, to identify the most urgent needs. escape routesand logistics and hotel capacity to round up evacuees. It also involved providing advice on how to Signals to watch out for when deciding whether or not to leavebefore the airspaces are closedThis is one of the characteristics of International SOS. This is one of the characteristics of International SOS: of course we have 24/7 assistance centres everywhere, but we rely on a "one-stop" approach. boots on the ground "These are teams that will reconnoitre the terrain on site, to be able to inform our members who still have teams on the ground, including local staff, to anticipate the situation, monitor it constantly, and access logistical, medical and safety resources. It's very complex, especially as with conscription our service providers are themselves affected, as men of military age are mobilised. Vehicles are sometimes requisitioned. So it's almost a "manual" job, it's "hand-sewn" for each situation...
So French companies are still concerned about Ukraine, but their focus has already largely shifted to Russia.
Have you also seen an increase in requests to Russia to assist business travellers who are stranded or even threatened in Russia?
Xavier Carn - Yes, we are assisting a lot of members in relation to the situation in Russia. More than a week ago, before the Quai d'Orsay recommended that organisations repatriate non-essential employees present in Russia, we had already raised our concerns about the possibility of leaving Russia. We also pointed out the risk that the economic or media footprint of a particular company could make it a potential target for retaliatory measures. Companies can be identified as coming from NATO members. So we have to be careful. We have had various cases of information and assistance in Russia, notably concerning the decision to reduce the number of teams on site, and to organise transfers to airports and air routing. There are still Russia's exit routes via the Middle East and Turkey. You can get into Europe by indirect flights, even if it's long and complex. So the focus for French companies is still on Ukraine, but it has already largely shifted to Russia, especially as this is a country where France has a very large economic footprint.
Has it also travelled to other countries bordering Ukraine? Do you advise against travelling to this area?
Xavier Carn - No, because there was no trigger. We know that there are countries from which an evacuation would be complex, such as France. Moldova. In other countries, such as the Romania, Hungary, PolandThe airspace is open and we can continue to operate in it, even if, of course on-site travel must be limited to essential purposes. We are constantly monitoring developments. Companies ask us to help them develop so-called "climbing matricesIn other words, an analysis grid that will enable a company to determine the incidents, situations and developments that should lead it to change its stance in terms of business continuity, employee safety, preparation for the crisis and even the departure of employees. Companies have been shocked, as we all have been, by the violence and speed of this crisis, and are therefore asking questions in neighbouring countries, all the more so with the no-fly zone. The context is very anxiety-provoking.
Did this rapid development of the crisis come as a surprise to security specialists such as International SOS? Or did you advise against travel to Ukraine in advance, and on what grounds?
Xavier Carn - We did this quite a lot before the start of the Russian offensive. We don't have a crystal ball, and it's not necessarily linked to our knowledge of the patterns of the belligerent power, but we were aware of the travel restrictions and we knew it was going to be more complicated. This is often one of the triggers Our knowledge of the fact that evacuation capacity by conventional means - commercial flights, trains, private cars - will be restricted. In this case, we anticipate, because there's nothing worse than having your employees stranded in a country whose airspace or borders are closed. That's the scenario we want to avoid at all costs. Our teams are working day and night to provide a very practical response to companies' need for information on how the situation is developing and what it means for their employees. In short, it's about providing HR managers, international mobility managers and CEOs with the right information when it's time to enter the crisis room.
The dams have burst: companies are also taking local employees into account to a large extent
Faced with this crisis, have French companies managed the duty of care issue well?
Xavier Carn - To be in contact with safety managers, medical directors, CEOs, the duty of care is on everyone's lips as well as in their actions. This goes far beyond the traditional impact zone, which is limited to business travellers and expatriates. The dikes have broken: companies also take local employees into account to a large extent. This leads us into some very complex discussions. For example, how many people should be included in the notion of extended family? On a human level, I personally find that companies are really focused on their duty to protect their teams and spend a considerable amount of time looking for solutions, even in extremely difficult circumstances.
How do you see the future of travel in Eastern Europe?
Xavier Carn - Very complicated, of course... Especially as there's always the Malaysian Airlines stigma on everyone's mind. The airlines are very concerned. We also have aviation security analysts who spend their time observing air corridors and their security. This is going to have a major impact, with all the bypasses that need to be put in place for essential travel to Russia or the region... It's incredibly complex, and will continue to be so for some time to come..
What are your recommendations for business travel to countries in the region?
Xavier Carn - The most important thing is to find out as much as you can. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is doing a remarkable job, with companies like ours providing a maximum amount of up-to-date, accurate information. Things change very quickly. We also need to choose service providers capable of assisting business travellers in the field, and not just online. But more than ever, we need to stress the importance of preparation and advice before the trip.
