Articles

Article by Seyed Behbood Issa-Zadeh & Claudia Lizette Garay-Rondero

The PLA welcomes Sathar Sulaiman and James Kitney as they join as Trainee Marine Pilots.

The maritime industry has long been a domain of tradition, resilience, and technical excellence. But if we look at its human makeup, particularly with regards to maritime pilotage, one question glares us in the face with uncomfortable clearness: where are the women?

With approval from the Danish Emergency Management Agency, DanPilot and Danelec are now initiating a test program for remote pilotage – the first of its kind in the world.

This study presents a novel decision support process for a pilot dispatching problem in the St. Lawrence River. It integrates a comprehensive set of time-based performance measures, including working time, waiting time, and skill level differences, to optimize fairness and operational efficiency in pilot dispatching.

A recent case reported by the International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) underscores how a seemingly minor oversight can lead to significant costs.

Pilot recruitment has traditionally been based on seniority, and extensive sea experience. However, a more modern approach, hiring younger, motivated candidates with structured training, offers an alternative path with compelling advantages.

Based on MAIB Safety Digest 1/2025, Case 12, published April 2025 by the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).

What happens when GNSS fails? In maritime navigation, this isn’t a hypothetical scenario – it’s a growing risk. Spoofing, jamming, and GNSS outages are increasing, especially in the Baltic Sea region. A failure can cripple navigation systems – with potentially serious consequences.

Electronic warfare in the Baltic Sea is escalating rapidly, with GPS and AIS disruptions posing growing risks to maritime navigation. Russia’s hybrid strategy is targeting both safety and stability in one of Europe’s most critical shipping regions. Pilots and crews now face a new reality: navigating under threat.