The Client
Kinross Gold (Kinross) is a global mining company with operations in the Americas, Russia, and West Africa.
The Challenge
Kinross operates a mine in the Chukotka region of Russia. During the sudden onset of war between Russia and Ukraine, Kinross approached Direct Travel with an urgent need to coordinate the immediate extraction of their employees and expatriates, and to return them safely home to various countries.
The Solution
Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Direct Travel was already closely monitoring the situation. During this time, we provided Kinross with detailed reports showing the location of all employees who were in or transiting through either country. We delivered Travel Alerts directly to Kinross employees and proactively reached out to travelers to inform them of pending schedule changes and re-routings due to airspace closures implemented by various countries, rebooking employees on alternate flight routes and offering reassurance.
When the situation escalated on a Sunday, Direct Travel initiated an urgent call with our client management and crisis team and prioritized verifying that all Kinross employees and expatriates in Russia had confirmed reservations to return to their home countries. Due to limited flight options via Europe, we routed passengers through Asia and actively monitored flights for disruption or cancellations.
At this time, Direct Travel provided Kinross with daily reports, confirming which travelers were en route and who had reached their final destination. This was an ongoing project, requiring 24-hour service and constant communication with travelers and Kinross until all employees were safely home.
The Results
Ultimately, Direct Travel secured travel arrangements for 17 Kinross employees, all of whom were relieved and extremely grateful.
All employees made it home safely within two to three days of activating our client management and crisis team’s plan.
Likewise, Kinross expressed deep appreciation that Direct Travel was able to quickly and efficiently organize an action plan and see it through until all of their valued employees were home safe.
“Direct Travel’s proactive planning and amazing responsiveness at this stressful time is appreciated by all of us! I know we would not get the same type of service from any other TMC.”
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Kinross Global Security Team