As Europe prepares for potential travel disruption caused by ash from the Grimsvotn volcano in Iceland, Hogg Robinson Group (HRG), the world class corporate travel services company, is reassuring clients that it has robust contingency plans in place once again to minimise any interference to their travel plans. 

HRG staff were quick to respond during the Eyjafjallajokull eruption 13 months ago, when UK and European airspace was closed to ensure that the 40,000 stranded HRG clients were looked after and reassured.  They took more than 25,000 calls from business travellers across Europe, and beyond.

At the time HRG arranged ground transportation across Europe, routed clients into southern Europe on flights to/from intercontinental airports, and chartered aircraft where appropriate.  Where repatriation was not possible, HRG worked to secure and extend hotel rooms for enforced stays.

Although early thinking suggests that disruption will not be at the level previously experienced, HRG is ready to respond and able to extend operating hours across Europe, to provide support on a 24 hour basis, should the need arise.

David Radcliffe, Chief Executive of HRG comments: “While we had hoped that the mass disruption caused by the Eyjafjallajokull eruption would be an exceptional occurrence, experience tells us that it pays to be prepared.  Our focus is on our clients and their travellers to make sure we do everything we possibly can to mitigate inconvenience.  We would like to offer reassurance at this stage that our plans are robust and will help us to meet any challenges posed by this latest eruption.

“We are hopeful that the impact of the ash cloud from the Grimsvotn volcano will not be as severe as last year, but we are standing by to do whatever it takes to look after our clients and their travellers, should concerns be realised.”