How can ATPI help to tackle crew shortages post-pandemic?
For many of us, life has started to return to ‘normal’ as the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, that doesn’t mean that the shipping industry isn’t still facing unprecedented challenges. Shanghai remains in a complete lockdown, with hundreds of vessels waiting to enter the port, while the war in Ukraine has impacted the supply of experienced, high-quality crew from both Russia and Ukraine – seafarers that are not easy to replace.
A lack of qualified and experienced crew
The difficulties that shipping companies are currently experiencing, such as crew shortages, as well as those they faced at the height of the pandemic, have led to them becoming far more vocal and highlighting the industry’s importance to the global economy.
It is thanks to these companies’ efforts that seafarers are increasingly being recognised as essential workers. If ships can’t sail and deliver goods around the world, the global economy will come to a complete standstill.
While the industry has shown great resilience and creativity over the past two years, having the right crew, amidst crew shortages, in the right place, and with the right experience, training and certifications is nowhere near as straightforward as it was pre-pandemic.
A lack of qualified and experienced crew is forcing ship management companies to be more agile and creative; to source crew from different countries; or to find ways of transporting crew internationally despite the ongoing global restrictions.
How can ATPI help to reduce crew travel costs?
Managing crew travel costs is a common challenge for crew managers who need to stay within budget even though reduced capacity and frequency of flights have significantly increased prices. That’s not all; if you remove costs from the equation completely, dealing with the variable nature of the travel industry is also an issue.
ATPI helps shipping companies face these difficulties by being a reliable partner. We recognise that delivering what really matters is now more important than ever. Ship managers trust ATPI to organise their crew change logistics and they rely on us to go above and beyond to make those crew changes possible. Whether it’s using charter flights to pick up stranded crew at the height of the pandemic or finding safe travel routes home for Ukrainian and Russian seafarers, ATPI is always there to find a solution and make it happen.
This happens every day on a smaller scale. There have been countless cases where ATPI has supported individual crew members who are stranded in ports or at airports or amended travel plans when faced with a global emergency.
As well as offering efficient processes and helping to control spend and routings, the most important thing that ATPI can deliver to our partners is peace of mind. Our 24/7 safety net, our dedication to the industry, and our human touch make ATPI an organisation the industry can rely on.
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