09/06/2020
Carried out successful crew change for MV Pride this port call. Thanks to
Yesterday’s Financial Times front page article highlighted the plight of seafarers left stranded at sea or at home, due to global COVID-19 travel restrictions. Many crew have worked several months beyond their contracts, due to recent travel restrictions which bar crew from disembarking to return home. This has led to the international shipping industry threatening to cease sailing unless replacement crew can be brought in. As commercial vessels carry 80% of world trade, this problem can potentially disrupt or even clog up global supply chain.
Singapore is very much alive to this issue. Agencies have been working closely with our shipping partners, seafarer unions and shipping companies to facilitate crew change in a safe manner, through “safe corridors” as set out in MPA’s Port Marine Circular and the “Singapore Crew Change Guidebook”. To date, MPA has approved nearly 3,000 cases of crew change since 27 March 2020.
We have gone further and started facilitating crew changes in larger numbers via chartered flights. The first such flight took place in Changi Airport last Saturday, in accordance with the protocol set out by the International Chamber of Shipping and supported by the International Maritime Organization. This week, there will be three more such chartered flights for shipping crew.
We are happy to help crew members heading home after being out at sea for a long period of time. They deserve that long-overdue reunion with their loved ones.
