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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has sent out a joint call to governments to urgently amend their Covid-19 restrictions 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.
Shipping is vital to the maintenance of global supply chains, but the current situation is unsustainable for the safety and wellbeing of ships' crews and the safe operation of maritime trade.
By volume, some 90% of global trade is delivered by ship, including food, energy, raw materials and manufactured products. Airlines carry, in addition to passengers, some 35% of global trade by value, including critical medicines and medical supplies.
Each month about 100 000 merchant seafarers need to be changed over from the ships on which they operate to ensure compliance with international maritime regulations protecting safety, health and welfare.
As a result of government-imposed travel restrictions due to Covid-19, flights to repatriate or position marine personnel are unavailable. Immigration and health screening protocols are also hampering the ability of merchant ships to conduct necessary crew changes.
IATA and ICS are working together to come forward with safe and pragmatic solutions that governments can implement to facilitate crew changes at certain airports.
