The government has given permission to ship management companies for operating chartered flights to bring back and also ferry seafarers to join ships overseas as the shipping industry looks at ways to resolve the crew change crisis never seen before.
On May 16, the Ministry of Home Affairs gave permission to MMS Maritime (India) Pvt Ltd for a chartered flight from Bangalore to Colombo to facilitate the movement of Indian seafarers to get employment opportunities in South Korea.
On the same day, the Home Ministry gave approval to Costa Cruise Company to repatriate 414 Indian seafarers stuck on cruise ships in Italy on three chartered flights to Goa, where these crew reside.
