Dear Members,
Please find below messages regarding Pooling Resources for Crew Changes sent to our members since last Wednesday:
Message No. 26
Top Urgent / Top Urgent
Aa/
We have just been informed by Sri Lankan Authorities that all foreign crew changes (sign-on and sign-off) will be temporarily suspended with immediate effect.
A charter flight that arrived in Colombo last night carried several COVID-19 positive seafarers. This incident has triggered authorities to make this stern decision.
Sri Lankan seafarers are still permitted to enter the country.
Bb/
Dear Capt. Kuba,
We can provide Full Crew Change and Repatriation as well as full set of replacement crew from Pakistan at Karachi basis BIMCO Crewman B.
All members may be interested in this exclusive service for members by Terra-Marine.
With Regards,
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Message No. 25
Please find the latest communication with FTA – Capt. Abdulla, and confirmation of his message from our contacts “on the ground” below.
Dear Capt. Kuba,
We had a meeting with the highest authorities yesterday, we raised our concerned about the seafarers’ dilemma worldwide and the importance of the UAE to take action to resolve this matter
.
The indications was positive from their side, we hope to get their official reply soon, but things are moving on the normalization on all policies in the UAE, for example yesterday they announce they will start receiving tourists again on the 7th of July in Dubai.
I will keep you updated with the highest authorities results soon.
Regards,
Capt. Abdulla
FTA
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Please note that the crew change process/Transit Visas have not yet been confirmed.
FTA confirmed that the high level meeting took place yesterday with the Disaster Management Committee and that instructions would be sent to Immigration Authority to permit crew changes. However, the official instructions have not yet gone through, but they are expected very soon. We also cross-checked with port immigration officials and they have not yet received instructions, despite the news article being published.
Message 24
We appreciate that this is the SECOND message today, but the situation seems to be very dynamic.
Aa/
Good News!
As of July 1st, there will be NO QUARANTINE IN EGYPT.
We now need to assess how many flights shall be organised to your members’ preferred destinations.
Egypt Air is backing us fully.
Visa upon arrival: confirmed
Accommodation: confirmed
Transport to and from airport to ports: confirmed
Bb/
NBC News is doing a piece about the effect COVID-19 has had on shipping. In particular, they are looking at the difficulties that international travel restrictions have created in terms of crew changes.
They know there have been positive developments in aiding seafarers who have overrun their contracts to return to their homes, and in particular they will be looking at the operation underway in the Netherlands, where the Dutch national shipping federation have partnered with KLM to fly seafarers back to Manila. They will be filming seafarers disembarking at Rotterdam port next week.
They will be speaking to someone from Maersk about the difficulties COVID-19 has posed, but they need to get the human element of the story. They want to speak to a seafarer who will be leaving his ship at Rotterdam to fly back to Manila. They want to talk to him about how he feels to be going home. The interview would preferably be in English! They will be filming in the port next week. The day which they are filming will depend on when they can get an interview lined up for.
Any takers please???
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Message No. 23
Aa/
Please see the latest communication with UAE authorities:
Please note there is no restriction on crew repatriation ( sign off ) from the UAE, which is happening on daily basis, it’s for all crew and it’s not restricted to anyone, the restriction which was on the previous FTA circular was enforce for few days only, before the country has open the repatriation for all seafarers without restriction .
The circular has not been updated as the relaxation policies was updated frequently by the concerned authorities, but the agents was kept aware of it, and hundreds of seafarers has benefited from it .
Crew change which required sign on was not in place, as most airlines and countries has closed their borders, however companies with chartered plane was allowed to conducted their crew change ( sign on/off ) the latest was a company which has conducted a crew change for 180 of its seafarers early this month through chartered plane.
A national committee has been formed this week and which will meet on Sunday and will be chaired by the FTA, to start setting the policies to relax all restricted measures taken in the previous months, including the normalization of crew change as airlines start resuming their activities, somethings which could not have been done in the previous weeks with the lack of airline services .
Meanwhile, if you have any seafarers want to be repatriated and travel back to their countries ( sign off ) please let them contact the agents , as they should be ware about the procedures, and let them contact us if they need assistance, we will ensure they are on their way back to join their families.
Regards,
Capt. Abdulla
FTA
Bb/ Could any member with experience in crew changes in:
- Jabel Alli
- South Korea
- Panama
- Oman
Please get in touch, as members are very keen to do crew changes in these jurisdictions.
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Last week:
Working on COVID-19
Working on Enclosed Space Death project
Crewing Webinar – Capt. Kuba Szymanski chairing
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This Week:
Working on COVID-19
Working on Enclosed Space Death project
Maritime Champions Club
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Looking forward:
Working on Enclosed Space Death project
Working on COVID-19
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Mt Kilimanjaro August 2020
We are taking on this giant of the world in August 2020, and we are looking for participants now so that training can begin and we can build a good plan for fundraising.
This is certainly one of life’s achievements and will not be forgotten easily!
Minimum sponsorship amount £5000.
Brochure and video being created.
I hope you’re well and will join me in a canoe or on a trek, maybe?
Kindest regards
Rebecca Bridgen
Events Fundraiser
Sailors’ Society
+ 44 7712 404130
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Brgds Kuba
Capt. Kuba Szymanski
Secretary General
+44 7624 498 266
