Testimonials
“We would like to give special thanks to Azhan from the airport team in Male. Upon arrival, we were notified one passenger on our flight had shown symptoms, and as result, we were not allowed to proceed with our onward travels towards our resort. No resorts were allowing guests from our flight. After much negotiation and ensuring that we were clear of the virus, the Hummingbird team managed to transfer us to Meeru Island instead of having to fly back home. Despite this ordeal, we still had a brilliant holiday and we wouldn’t have done so without the team at Hummingbird. Huge Thank You!”
Client of Kenwood Travel
“We were holidaying on Kuredu Island Resort when the most unwanted news broke out. Someone on the island had tested positive for COVID-19. The island quickly went into lockdown and we were in effect stranded as no one was allowed to leave. Thankfully we could rely on our agent who was working closely with Hummingbird to quickly find alternative flights back home. They remained in close communication with us throughout the lockdown period, and the moment the temporary isolation ban was lifted, the team got us out of the island and we flew safely back home. It was so reassuring to see such friendly staff at the airport, who stayed late to ensure we were able to depart smoothly.’
Client of Jasmine Holidays
With the Maldivian borders closed, and as the last of our guests leave, our ground handling team pack up their station and get ready for a new normal. For the next few weeks there will be no commercial flights, no meeting guests on arrival or departure and no assisting guests to their resort transfers. For the first time in weeks, our team will have a moment to breathe.
The last four weeks have been nothing like any of us have ever seen before, unpredictable and unprecedented. We have had entire resorts on lockdown, flights coming in with passengers presenting symptoms of Coronavirus, agents on FAM trips stuck on islands due to new laws and finally the government across the world closing borders, giving us a small window of time to get the guests home. Throughout all of this, it was our first line workers, the Ground Handling team that were the true heroes.
Our team worked around the clock and their main focus was the safety and the comfort of our guests. They worked with airline ground staff to ensure our guests made the last flights out, worked with our sales team to find new resorts for guests who arrived to find the one they originally booked was on a lockdown and finally made sure all our agents were updated on any changes that were made. Our team was always on standby and your guests were never left alone.
Unpredictable catastrophes can strike at any time; a tsunami, an ash cloud or an invisible virus. We have relied on our Ground Handling team more so than ever. It is in times of disaster, whether minor or major that you realise how essential it is to have a professional quick-thinking team of decision makers on the ground, trained in crisis management. To have someone with the client, attending to emergencies, quickly coming up with solutions and providing reassurance, proved to be invaluable. We do this for all our guests in all our destinations and by booking through us your clients will always be first priority and well looked after.
Speaking to Zedey, our Airport Manager, he said,” it was heartbreaking to see the number of abandoned and distressed tourists left alone, with little information and almost no help, we tried our best to make sure that it didn’t happen to any of our clients”
It goes without saying that we are extremely proud of our ground handling team and we would like to give special thanks to all our wonderful Airport Representatives – Azhan, Zedey, Cappi and Ibrahim!
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