Manning sector renews call for passenger flights

MANNING stakeholders have asked governments to take action in opening passenger flights to carry seafarers, who are key workers in the global supply chain.

Döhle Seafront Crewing Manila President Iris Baguilat said they took charter flights for the second time to help ease “crew change” problems due to lack of air transport.

“This June, we’re expecting 45,000 crew change and by July, another 45,000 seafarers. We’re doing our best to help, but it’s still not easy. All over the world, [there are] no flights. The worldwide passenger aircraft fleet was grounded,” she told reporters.

Last June 28, 170 Filipino seafarers boarded the Condor Air chartered flight from Manila to Hamburg, as part of the second batch of crew to join their respective vessels. The chartered flight was arranged by Peter Döhle Schiffart-KG, which also brought in several stranded crew from Europe the day before.

German Ambassador Anke Reiffenstuel, who was with the inbound Filipino seafarers on the same chartered airline, said Döhle acted very responsibly as a ship owner and has helped in alleviating the crisis the global maritime shipping is facing because of crew change difficulties.

The act to repatriate and expatriate seafarers is to heed the call of the United Nations, International Civil Aviation Organization, International Maritime Organization and International Labor Organization for urgent action on crew changes for humanitarian reasons.

Baguilat said the company’s initiative, along with the other members of the manning community, was designed to alleviate the conduct of crew change, which remains challenging due to many restrictions imposed on seafarers in many countries.

She said in-flight is limited and urged the government to ensure the efficiency of passenger flights to accommodate more stranded seafarers.

Baguilat was present at the airport to

personally assist the joiners last June 28.

The first chartered flight was last June 12, when the German principal repatriated 230 Filipino seafarers from Hamburg who

came from different companies. The next day, June 13, the chartered flight departed for Hamburg with 70 seafarers.

PHOTO FROM DÖHLE SEAFRONT MANILA (From left) Döhle Seafront Senior Manning Officer John Dave Reyes, Seafront Manning Manager Captain Joel Ayos, Seafront President Iris Baguilat, German Ambassador to the Philippines Anke Reiffenstuel, Abdul Rahman Pacasum from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Jet Management Asia Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Max Motschmann