Air Service News

Tidewater has appointed Dick H. Fagerstal non-executive Chairman of the Board.In addition, the Board has reduced the size of the Board from nine to eight members.Fagerstal stated, “I am honored to assume the role of Chairman of the Board of Tidewater at such an exciting time for our industry. I believe the company is well positioned to capitalize on the increasing global offshore activity with recently closed (and pending) additions to its fleet of offshore vessels.“Having been…

The operator of an oil tanker stormed in the English Channel by British special forces thanked the authorities on Monday for their timely response, saying help was requested after seven stowaways who boarded in Nigeria turned hostile.Troops from the Special Boat Service, Britain's elite naval special forces unit, boarded the Greek-operated Nave Andromeda near the Isle of Wight off southern England after the master of the ship said he was concerned about the safety of his crew.Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and Home Secretary Priti Patel authorized the armed forces to board the tanker "to safeguard life and secure a ship that was subject to suspected hijacking", the defense ministry said.Sources with knowledge of the situation aboard the vessel said it was not a hijacking or hostage-taking.

British special forces stormed a Greek-operated oil tanker in the English channel on Sunday to wrestle control of the vessel from seven stowaways who had threatened the crew in a suspected hijacking.Troops from the Special Boat Service, a navy special forces unit whose headquarters in just a few miles away from where the vessel began showing signs of distress, boarded the Nave Andromeda near the Isle of Wight off southern England.Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and Home Secretary Priti Patel authorized the armed forces to board the ship “to safeguard life and secure a ship that was subject to suspected hijacking”, the defense ministry said.“Armed forces have gained control of the ship and seven individuals have been detained,” the ministry said.

Regulatory reform is one of President Trump’s priority agenda items. Upon taking office, the President issued a number of Executive Orders focusing attention and demanding action on the myriad of regulations impacting American businesses.Last May, the reform spotlight fell on maritime regulations when the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), published a Request for Information (RFI) on how the government should “prudently manage regulatory costs imposed on the maritime sector.” OMB…

Royal Caribbean International announced it will return to New Orleans with a seasonal home-based cruise ship in late 2018. The 915-foot Vision of the Seas will sail seven-night itineraries to destinations across the Bahamas and Yucatan Peninsula from the Port of New Orleans’ Julia Street Cruise Terminal. The ship will sail on Saturdays. “The Port of New Orleans is thrilled to welcome back Royal Caribbean. We look forward to working productively together for many years to come,” said Brandy Christian, Port President and CEO.

The longest and one of the most premium cruise ships ever to dock in New Orleans will sail into the Port’s Julia Street Cruise Terminal Sunday, Feb. 26, just in time for the finale of Mardi Gras festivities. The Celebrity Equinox, a 1,041-foot cruise ship christened in 2009, will make its first visit to the Port of New Orleans, remaining in Port through Feb. 28 – Mardi Gras Day. The ship’s length is equal to 3.47 football fields. “The Port is thrilled to welcome Celebrity Cruises back to New Orleans for an extended port call,” said Brandy Christian, Port President and CEO. Celebrity Equinox holds 2,850 passengers and is the longest cruise ship to berth in New Orleans to date.

Compressor supplier Tamrotor Marine Compressors (TMC) has been awarded a contract by Sembcorp Marine to supply compressed air systems to the new build Heerema Sleipnir crane vessel. The scope of work includes manufacturing and delivery of a complete marine compressed air system, including Smart Air service air compressors, service air dryers, control air compressors and control air dryers. The new generation semi-submersible crane vessel Heerema Sleipnir is designed for worldwide offshore heavy lifting.

The U.S. Navy, and the aeronautic field in general, has benefited enormously from the genius of more than one Sperry. Lawrence Burst Sperry, the second son and third child of gyrocompass inventor Elmer A. Sperry was a pioneer in instrumental flight and famous inventor in his own right, launching the Lawrence Sperry Aircraft Co. at 26, and earning 23 patents before his untimely death at the age of 31 in 1923. It was no exaggeration. Like his father before him, Sperry’s engineering brilliance more than made up for his lack of a college degree…

Once queen of the express liners, and the fastest, safest and biggest passenger liner in history, the SS United States today quietly awaits rescue from a pending cruise to the scrapyard. The Big Ship the Big U, the one that didn’t sink. The S.S. She is waiting for a rescue that may never come from an appointment with the scrap yard looming large on her summer schedule. And that would be a shame according to her many supporters, not the least of which was the late newsman and sailor, Walter Cronkite.

The Department of Transportation has announced 70 grants totaling $98m in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds that will be used to improve small shipyards throughout the United States. The funds, awarded through the Maritime Administration’s Assistance to Small Shipyards program, will help create and preserve jobs, provide valuable employment training and make much needed improvements to shipyards across the country. The Small Shipyards Grant program provides up to 75 percent in ARRA funds for a project and requires the remainder be matched by the shipyard. A detailed list of the grantees is as follows. •    Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, Inc.,  Philadelphia, PA: $2,312,614, for the first year of training program.

Hydro Air, a South African company, is mulling the possibility of launching a sea-air service between Europe and Africa in the longer term. Hydro Air, will launch its first-ever cargo service and first Africa-European air service in the first week of November with a Boeing 747-200 freighter. Hydro Air cargo's commercial director Louis van Deventer said the company was considering the possibility of a sea-air service in the future. He said the original idea was prompted because larger vessels could not serve smaller ports in Africa either because of the vessel size or due to the lack of suitable equipment at the ports. Feeder vessels could serve for instance, Angola, Tanzania, Kenya and South African ports. Islands such as Madagascar and Mauritius could also be served in the same way.

The accord between China and the U.S. on Beijing's entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO) will boost trade and benefit transport companies in both countries, industry officials said. "We believe that China's entry to the WTO will stimulate growth in the volume of trade flowing in and out of China," said Eddy Chan, mid-Pacific region vice-president for Federal Express, which provides air service to three Chinese cities five times a week. "As such, FedEx would be well-positioned to handle any increase in import and export transportation volumes," Chan said. Total U.S. trade with China grew to more than $85 billion in 1998, making China the fourth largest trading partner of the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Commodore Holdings Limited will be purchasing, subject to final documentation, the 820-passenger cruise vessel Crown Dynasty, which it presently charters. The ship will be bought from Helsinki-based Neptun Maritime for $86.2 million and the transfer is expected to take place in January, 2000. The Crown Dynasty has undergone a $5 million upgrading program and has started its sailings under the Crown Cruise Line brand, a newly formed upscale brand of Commodore Holding Limited. CCLN will market the 4 1/2 star elegant cruise ship to those seeking a somewhat more sophisticated and higher quality cruise experience at a moderate price. The Crown Dynasty entered service in 1993 and is known in the industry as an elegant vessel with a full array of passenger amenities.