48-hour Security Scrapbook Quick-Poll…
(simple and non-scientific)
We wanted to know the prevailing corporate policy concerning top executives flying together.
Do you, or does your company, have a policy?
YES: 22
NO: 5
Note:
If the person indicated there was a current policy, or they had been responsible for creating a policy for a former employer, it was prohibitive in nature.
Talent pool…
• Corporate security (at Fortune 500 type companies)
• International Association of Professional Security Consultants (IAPSC) Many members are former corporate security directors
General Comments…
Yes, BUT! Since (our company's) inception the 'policy' has been under constant review and revision. Yes, BUT! Officers take it upon themselves when to over-ride the policy. Yes, BUT! No official version has been published to date. I would not feel comfortable sharing the draft.
My only comment would be if they are traveling together and the are NOT working for the same company, no problem. But if both are assigned to the same company I would say no. My parents always traveled separately by air while I was growing up. I would say there is too much to lose especially with the events from 9/11.
Most of my time has been spent in hospitals, as a Security Director, very few times do top executives fly or fly together. But with my consultant hat on I have worked with many Fortune 500 companies and it was always my recommendation that they not fly together even before 9/11. In fact many many years ago I wrote several policies in that regard. Not sure if they still exist will try and check.
We have written half a dozen such policies for Fortune 100 and other multinationals. Most, but not all, abide by the flight policy, either by booking seperate commercial flights, or by using two or more corporate craft to go to the same destination, such as an annual meeting, Wall Street, etc. Then they all stay on the same floor at the same 4-star hotel at their destination city, because it was easier for corporate travel to book, or worse, share a limo from the airport. (Just kidding.)
How does that go? You are more likely to die in a car crash than a plane crash.
Smaller companies are more likely to have their exec's travel together, either because they only have one plane, or so they can work together on a commercial flight.
Without mentioning any names, I think you have done some work for two of our bigger clients. They are pretty strict to keep the top five guys in seperate hotels, limos, planes, etc.
The key elements of the policy include briefing exec's, secretaries and sometimes wives, on booking travel.
Guidelines are issued to corporate travel agents on bookings for key executives.
For corporate planes, Chief Pilot or his secretary peruse flight schedules to ensure the wrong two people don't get on the same plane.
Flight leaders, (usually the named exec in whose name the corporate flight is first booked) have final say on outbound times, and return times, and whether to leave someone behind because of tardiness.
These flights are usually booked weeks to months in advance, and flight lists are closely held.
Aviation Security is one of our firm's specialty areas. I will give you the short answer and then if you want more details, I will be glad to provide them. We say that Exec's can travel together. The only exception to this is short hops into or within third world countries.
Obviously any plane could go down. Therefore, if the company is that concerned about a possible plane crash; by all means book the flights separately. But the terrorist threat should not be a reason to book them separately, with the exception of that stated above or the executive is also a political leader in his country-- i.e., a known threat exists against that particular individual..
Generally, we encourage companies to avoid having more than two or three execs on the same plane.
Have you seen SafeSpaces.com?
We are now doing a section on Crisis Management/Executive Protection. I
will send it to you!
I have been involved in the design of a few Business Continuity Plans which of course addresses this subject. The bottom line is: The person next in succession of a particular function does not fly on the same aircraft as the person he would succeed.
PERSONNEL LIMITS ON THE SAME AIRCRAFT
No more than eight [deleted] employees shall travel together on the same aircraft.
No more than two Group 1 Company Officers shall travel together on the same aircraft. Group 1 consists of the Chief Executive Officer, Chairman Emeritus, and the senior market executive of [deleted] dept./business groups.
No more than three Group 2 Company Officers shall travel together on the same aircraft. Group 2 consists of the [deleted] Group Chief Financial Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, Chief Legal Counsel, Chief Information Officer, Chief Investment Officer, Chief Communications Officer, Chief Actuary and the senior executive of the following Strategic Business Units: [deleted]....
USE OF PRIVATE AIRCRAFT
The use of privately-owned aircraft for Company business purposes is not permitted under any circumstances.
USE OF CHARTERED AIRCRAFT
Prior authorization to use commercial chartered aircraft on Company business must be obtained in advance from the Chief Executive Officer. In his absence, authorization must be obtained from the Corporate Treasurer or Chief Financial Officer.
I work for a number of top firms that have a prefered policy of not flying together. They still often do, so they can prep for meetings and such. This is even used as a reason to have corp jets, saying they are safer. Two very large firms put all the execs on charter planes once every year, they hire me to search it and fly with them.
Employees Traveling Together
As a precautionary measure, no more than three company employees at the executive level (VP or above) should travel on the same plane. In addition, Large groups of employees traveling on the same plane should be discourged. The travel center will advise affected employees if such a situation arises so that alternative air arrangements can be made.
I'm not sure if it is written. If it has been written, it would be with our counterparts in [the country of the headquarters], so I'm not able to fax you a copy. If you have any questions feel free to call me.
At [deleted], we do not have an official policy on travel for multiple Executives, but try and make them aware of the dangers for the business should something happen and they are all on same flight. We have enhanced our corporate travel and security program since 9/11 and track on a daily basis where everyone is traveling across the world on a daily basis.
We suggested a policy, it was turned down. (Fortune 500 company)
Yes we have a policy, yes we prohibit more than 3 from flying together (prompted when Donald Trump lost his staff on a commuter plane a few years ago) I will try and get a copy of the policy but this is kept at our airport. Yes, I have requested that the CEO sign a waiver to let more than 3 senior executives on the same plane just to cover myself. It isn't popular to ask for this but we have a terrific CEO.
I have among my clients at the moment, 5 fortune 1000's,- three telecom, a global manufacturer and a global entertaiment company, all International, all have policy forbidding top company executives from traveling in airplanes (only) together including corporate aircraft. Most of the policy is enforced (monitored) thru the corporate travel group. ie: they let security know who is traveling where. One of my clients lost it's CEO and founder of a well known telcom at the WTC on the American Airlines filght. Of course, this travel caveat is only part of a more comprehensive corporate travel security program. Now with that said, it is a constant "hassle" for the corporate security directors to get the folks to comply. I can only second that with my own experience as a corporate security director. As you well know, these travel policy's are pretty SOP.
We advise client's in this area and they normally incorporate the policy into their existing policies. The air crash in Birmingham, UK recently has obviously highlighted this action however we have always adopted the procedure as a matter of cause from a countermeasures point of view especially in the realms of K&R.
[deleted] has a written policy on this but no one ever adhered to it. The Lear 35 held 8 and it was not uncommon for the CEO and COO to be on as well as a Sr. VP of Operations. I don't think they ever flew commercial as we had three planes.
NO, (policy) but working on it!
As I recall, our policy was that the top three (Chairman, Vice-Chairman and CEO) could not fly together, and no more than three of the other (specified) senior corporate executive could fly together.
We have a policy. It prohibits too many executives on the same flight.
Neither [deleted] or [deleted] (my previous employer) permitted executives to fly "en masse." This mandate, unwritten at both companies, addressed business continuity concerns as well as logistics involving delayed flights. If, for example, there was a critical meeting to which four of our execs were headed, and Flight #1 carrying Exec #1 was cancelled, delayed or detained at a connecting location, other execs would be enroute via other means and, presumably, make the meeting. Execs do travel together on same flights but always follow a pairing of Exec # 1 with Exec #4, Exec #2 with Exec #3. I do not have an URL but recall that our insurers at [deleted] required maintenance of the aforementioned policy. Insurance companies make provide you with specific reference material.
I can tell you that our policy is much tighter than 10. [On a scale of 1-10.]
A BIG 'thank you' to everyone who participated!
~ Kevin
Additional background information
Corporate Travel Concerns
10 Steps to Safer Business Travel
Security issues must be faced for meetings
Recent News… 1/5/02
BIRMINGHAM, England -- Five people have been killed after a private executive jet crashed during take-off at an English airport. The twin-engine executive was registered with Georgia, U.S.-based agricultural equipment giant AGCO Corp. The company said its president, John Shumejda, 56, and its senior vice president of sales, Ed Swingle, 60, were killed.
Like we need any more good reasons for an executive flight policy…
A short list…
No. 24, 2001: Singer Melanie Thornton was killed in the crash of a Crossair Avro RJ100 near Zurich, Switzerland. Thornton was one of the 24 passeners and crew killed during the crash. Also killed were two members of the pop trio Passion Fruit, Maria Serrano-Serrano and Nathaly van het Ende.
August 25, 2001: Singer and actress Aaliyah was killed in the crash of a chartered plane that crashed shortly after takeoff on Abaco Island in the Bahamas for a flight to Opa Locka, Florida. All nine on board, including Aaliyah were either died at the scene or shortly after the crash.
Oct. 25, 1999: Payne Stewart, golfer, his two business agents and a course designer.
July 16, 1999: John F. Kennedy, Jr. , his wife Carolyn Bessette, and his
sister-in-law Lauren Bessette.
Oct. 12, 1997: John Denver, 1970s superstar with hits like
"Take Me Home, Country Roads," is killed in crash of his experimental
plane off California coast.
1996: A corporate Mitsubishi MU-2B jet carrying four Coca-Cola bottling executives crashed and burned in a canyon near Malad City, Idaho. All eight people aboard were killed in the crash.
1996: Two executives of the German magazine Bunte were killed in a plane crash near Offenburg, Germany.
April 18, 1996: Nebraska quarterback Brook Berringer is
killed when the small plane he was piloting crashed northwest of
Lincoln, Neb.
April 3, 1996: Commerce Secretary Ron Brown is among 35
killed when Air Force passenger jet crashes in Croatia during a trade
mission to the Balkans.
April 5, 1991: Former Sen. John Tower and NASA astronaut
Manley "Sonny" Carter Jr. among those killed in the crash of an
Atlantic Southeast Airlines flight near Brunswick, Ga.
April 1, 1991: Sen. John Heinz, R-Pa., killed when his plane
collides with a helicopter over Merion, Pa.
Aug. 27, 1990: Blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan and other
performers killed when a helicopter crashes into a hill in East Troy,
Wis., after departing from a concert.
Aug. 7, 1989: Rep. Mickey Leland, a Texas Democrat who chaired
the House Select Committee on Hunger, killed when plane crashes
during a trip to inspect relief efforts in Ethiopia
Dec. 31, 1985: Rick Nelson, Ozzie and Harriet TV star turned
rock 'n' roller, killed when plane catches fire and crashes near
DeKalb, Texas.
Aug. 2, 1979: Thurman Munson, New York Yankees catcher,
killed in crash of his private plane in Canton, Ohio.
Aug. 3, 1976: Missouri Rep. Jerry Litton is killed with his
family when his plane crashes en route to Kansas City, where they
were to attend a victory party marking Litton's winning the
Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate.
Sept. 20, 1973: Singer Jim Croce, known for hits such as "Bad,
Bad Leroy Brown," killed in plane crash near Natchitoches, La.
Dec. 31, 1972:, Roberto Clemente, Pittsburgh Pirates
outfielder, killed in crash while flying to Nicaragua to aid earthquake
victims.
Oct. 16, 1972: House Majority Leader Hale Boggs, D-La., Rep.
Nick Begich, D-Alaska, killed when their plane disappears over Alaska.
May 30, 1971: Audie Murphy, World War II hero who became
film actor, mostly in Westerns and war movies, killed in small plane
crash in Carroll County, Va.
Nov. 14, 1970: Marshall University football team and coach.
Aug. 31, 1969: Former heavyweight boxing champion Rocky
Marciano killed in crash near Newton, Iowa.
Dec. 10, 1967: Soul singer Otis Redding killed when plane
crashes into a lake near Madison, Wis., days after he recorded the
ballad "Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay."
July 31, 1964: Jim Reeves, country balladeer with hits such as
"Four Walls" and "Welcome to my World," killed in crash of a small
plane in Nashville, Tenn.
March 5, 1963: Patsy Cline, whose country hits included
"Crazy," and fellow singers Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins
killed in plane crash near Camden, Tenn.
Feb. 3, 1959: Rock stars Buddy Holly, J.P. "The Big Bopper"
Richardson and Ritchie Valens killed when chartered plane crashes
near Mason City, Iowa, en route to a show.
Dec. 15, 1944: Glenn Miller, trombonist and leader of a hugely
popular dance band entertaining troops, killed when his plane
disappears on flight from England to Paris.
June 1, 1943: Leslie Howard, actor
Jan. 16, 1942: Carole Lombard, actress in such comedies as
Nothing Sacred, killed in plane crash near Las Vegas while on a tour to
sell war bonds.
Aug. 15, 1935: Will Rogers, cowboy humorist, killed in plane
crash near Point Barrow, Alaska.
March 31, 1931: Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne killed
when his plane flew into a storm and fell into a wheat field near
Bazaar, Kan.
The looooooooong list.
Another looooooooog list.
(Although not always mentioned, many of these folks were flying with business associates.)
Airplane jokes.
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