How have these challenges changed over time?

The shipping and energy sectors have pushed for a more humane approach to crew rotations for the last few years - a need that has only been further highlighted by the outbreak of Covid-19.
As a result, crew managers are constantly balancing the needs and wants of crew with the priorities of employers as they search for a humane and cost effective approach.

With many crew stranded at sea during the early phases of the pandemic, the world began to appreciate the physical and mental toll offshore travel and operations can take on crew. In May 2020, ATPI Marine & Energy worked alongside the International Maritime Employers’ Council in the repatriation of over thousands of stranded crew.

Compared with pre-pandemic processes, crew rotations have become more manual - something that is unexpected in a sector that saw a significant push towards the digitalisation and automation of many travel processes.

Although these additional processes are necessary if crew are to be kept safe and travel is to be kept compliant, they require more time and resource, which increases the amount of time it takes to manage a single crew rotation.Some of the additional tasks that ATPI Marine & Energy have built into the crew travel booking process during the pandemic are:

Constant updates to all travel consultants via ATPI Alerts

Identification of possibly affected travellers by any new restriction or other change of situation via the ATPI Duty of Care team

Continuous monitoring of airline websites to confirm current bookings as cancellations can occur without prior notification

Online research for repatriation and charter flights

Constant phone and written communication with airlines and embassies

Waiting list configuration and updates