Chartered flight takes 63 seafarers to Doha to join ships at different ports

NEW DELHI: With lockdown 1.0 beginning, the shipping industry has sent 63 Indian seafarers in a special chartered flight from Mumbai to Doha from where they will proceed to different ports to join ships. “More such flights will follow,” said Capt Sanjay Prashar, member, National Shipping Board and chairman, International Maritime Federation.
The seafarers who reached Doha took onwards flights to Korea, Brazil, Finland and Europe, Capt Prashar said on Monday.
The crew change in different shops across the world could not take place because of the Covid-19 situation and lockdown. While the evacuation flights have brought seafarers from some parts of the globe, this is the first flight that has been organised to fly them out of the country to join the ships at different ports abroad.
Admit the gloomy job scenario because of the Covid19 situation, Capt Girsh Phadnis and Capt Prashar said the fact that a special flight was organised to take seafarers to join duty meant that jobs are here to stay. “That’s the message this flight gives. Indian seafarers will join ships and those who have completed their stay will come back,” they said. Capt Sanjay Prashar said he had requests shipping minister Mansukh Mandaviya to impress upon the government to talk with other countries to allow Indian seafarers crew change.
The crew that took the flight to Doha and made the onward journey to other destinations were from seven companies. The flight department said on May 31 night.
Meanwhile, Taurus Shipping Company conducted its first disembarkation of foreign seafarers at Gangavaram seaport in Andhra Pradesh amid the lockdown.