From downhill drama and big air brilliance to the razor-sharp precision of speed skating and the heart-stopping intensity of skeleton, this year’s Winter Olympics delivered a spectacle at every turn.
But with the Games now at a close, applause is due not only to the athletes, but to the thousands working behind the scenes as well as our own specialist sports travel team, Access Travel Management.
Behind every broadcast shot and live update sits an operation of immense complexity, particularly when it comes to moving international media teams at scale.
The Planning Process
While in-country movement was not required on this occasion, the real logistical challenge lay in getting crews to Italy during one of the busiest periods in the global sporting calendar. Flights were at capacity, pricing was volatile and schedules shifted at short notice. And with broadcast teams needing to travel together, often with additional baggage and specialist equipment, arriving precisely when required, there was no room for delay.
“What makes Olympic travel different is not simply volume, it is unpredictability. Additional baggage requirements, seat allocations, date amendments and schedule shifts are standard. During this programme, flexibility was critical and our approach remained agile throughout, responding quickly to evolving needs while maintaining clarity and control.”
– Lee Gunn, Chief Operating Officer @ Access Bookings
The Professional Execution
In November 2025, during peak Olympic demand, our team was tasked with coordinating air travel for Winter Olympics-related broadcast activity. The brief was clear but complex…manage more than 80 flights for media personnel, ensuring precise arrivals. So, between November and December, more than 80 flights were successfully delivered across multiple routes and carriers. Departures went from London, Manchester and Birmingham, with arrivals into key Italian hubs including Milan and Venice. Behind each booking sat a real person (not a bot or AI), detailed planning, live availability monitoring and constant communication.
The Outcome
Strong airline relationships and proactive monitoring allowed capacity constraints and price fluctuations to be navigated with confidence. Precision was essential especially as travellers needed to arrive at specific destinations at exact times, with no margin for error. Despite peak demand, there were no missed departures, and everything ran as smooth as the Italian snow.
Projects of this scale reinforce an important point that major sporting events demand more than standard booking platforms, they require:
- Sector knowledge
- Calm decision making
- Hands-on management alongside technology.
This project further strengthened our position as a specialist in complex, time-critical sport travel. It demonstrated how scale can be balanced with service and how, even in the most demanding environments, careful planning and responsive support make the difference between disruption and delivery.
This also serves as a reminder that while athletes compete on the world stage, the success of global sport reporting also relies on seamless logistics behind the scenes and on teams prepared to operate confidently under pressure.
*Splash Image & OG Image Reference: https://www.olympics.com/en/galleries/layers-of-the-games-the-best-composite-images-of-the-winter-olympics-2026
Need help planning travel for your next sporting event?
We specialise in complex, high-touch logistics for all entertainment industries – including major sporting events.
Contact us now on 📞 +44(0)1543 272 575 or 📧 contactus@accessbookings.com