The International Air Transport Association (Iata) has joined forces with the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) to come up with a workable solution to facilitate crew change flights for seafarers.
Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, seafarers are having to extend their service onboard ships after many months at sea, unable to be replaced following long tours of duty or return home.
As reported in yesterday’s news, an alliance of shipowners and managers has slammed current coronavirus policy as applied to shipping saying that at present more than 100 000 seafarers are in effect marooned at sea because coronavirus shutdowns worldwide are preventing them from entering or transiting countries and/or finding flights on which to return home.
The organisations have recommended that governments identify airports that seafarers can use for crew changes and make appropriate adjustments to current health and immigration protocols so that airlines can help keep global logistics moving.
Priority airports, they suggest, should include those close to major shipping lanes which also have direct air connections to principal seafarer countries of residence, such as China, India and the Philippines as well as destinations in western and Eastern Europe.
