Dear Members,

We are currently noticing again and again that parts of the public use the Corona crisis as a welcome reason to put air traffic and our jobs into question. Some even want to abolish it altogether. However, we regard this crisis as the wrong time to push ahead with structural change in the air transport system. This, by the way, does not mean that we are opposed to more sustainable and environmentally friendly aviation! On the contrary, innovations are urgently needed to prepare our industry for the future.

But we should all work together to prevent air transport from being demonized as a means of transportation and our (dream) jobs from being talked down! All VC representatives work publicly as well as behind closed doors on various levels against such efforts.

Our advocacy is all the stronger, especially on social media, the more people we have advocating on our side. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn simply are "participatory events" and it would benefit many debates on these channels if those affected and the real experts - which means all of us - got involved there.

We would be happy to point you to such topics and discussions on social networks that affect our concerns. So, if you feel like participating, drop us an email at presse@vcockpit.de and we will add you to a mailing list. We are looking forward to fighting together with you in a positive sense for our cause.

Loss-of-License Insurance Status

We receive various inquiries from members about the status of their Loss-of-License insurance policies. It is not possible to make a blanket statement here. It does not only depend on the provider, but also on the age of the policy.

Some LOL-contracts remain valid regardless of unemployment, others require mandatory employment, some even in Germany. You may then also be asked to switch into an occupational disability insurance for a limited period of time. We often hear that a new employment relationship must be found within a period of six months and, if necessary, a health check must be completed.

Sometimes it helps to defer or suspend the insurance. Check your policies to see if such a reprimand can occur and contact your insurance agent at the respective company. The insurance companies can advise you in detail about the consequences of unemployment.

For more information on the status of LOL-Insurances, check this article on VC Info (in German only).

New EU-Slot-Regulations inadequate

The EU Parliament has adopted new slot regulations for European airports for the summer flight schedule (link). Airlines must then operate at least 50% of their slots in order to keep their take-off and landing rights. Nevertheless, they can return slots in advance for this summer season, which will not be counted for the 50% and will be re-awarded to them next year.

Against the backdrop of the ongoing Corona crisis and the associated sharp restrictions in air traffic, Maria-Pascaline Murtha, VC Board Member for International Affairs, says: "The newly adopted rule is better than nothing, yet it is not enough. The risk of losing existentially important slots is still high for many airlines. We therefore expect to see empty flights in the summer which economically and ecologically make no sense. Europe's air traffic would need a significantly lower value for the slots instead to avoid becoming a victim of unfair competitive practices from third countries."

Thinking outside the Box - Series on Job Alternatives

The first article in the series "Thinking outside the Box" ("Über den Tellerrand") about job alternatives, different career paths and the development and realization of ideas can be found here on the VC Info website (in German only).

Wrong Time for Reduced Crew Ops

EASA would like to push reduced crew / single pilot operations according to various media reports (e.g. Airways Magazine, Flightglobal), which quote the agency's CEO Patrick Ky accordingly. At this stage, we take a very critical stance on this, as do our colleagues at the European level. These innovations have no proven safety benefits, but they do pose safety risks, some of them considerable.

We will not avoid the discussion on new technologies when the time comes and we will continue to fulfil our role as advocates of flight safety with great dedication. We have already presented our position on this in the VC Aviation Safety Concept SafeSKY 2020 (Chapter 4.1.1): The reduction of cockpit crews to a single pilot cannot be recommended due to the current state of technology.

Now, and until the return to a "New Normal," there are many safety-related issues throughout the aviation system under the heading of "Return to Normal Operations" that regulators should continue to prioritize. To date, EASA has handled the challenges for flight safety in this crisis in an exemplary manner. Keeping and improving our high levels of flight safety must continue to prevail over economic interests.

Position Paper Update "Video Surveillance on Aircraft"

A new update of the position paper 'Video Surveillance on Aircraft' has been adopted by the VC Advisory Board and published on our website.

In the course of aircraft accident investigations, but also in view of increasing numbers of cases of unruly passenger behaviour, the installation of video surveillance systems on board commercial aircraft is being discussed in the aviation industry.

VC supports equipping aircraft with such systems to increase flight safety and to maintain order and security on board under the condition that such recordings be exclusively used by the flight crew to better assess the current situation inside and outside the aircraft cabin. The recording or transmission of images from video surveillance systems is viewed critically by the VC from a safety and security point of view.
 

To the entire Position Paper (in German only)

DFS ends trial - EDDF RWY 18 SIDs CINDY-S / SULUS-S

DFS has terminated the trial operations EDDF RWY 18 SIDs CINDY-S / SULUS-S as of January 29, 2021. Among other things, departures have sporadically and unintentionally entered the adjacent approach sector, thereby approaching incoming traffic from SPESA/ CHA.

As of January 29, 2021, the Cindy-L/SULUS-L departure routes and the still existing short SID over AMTIX, from the parallel runway system (RWYs 25 L/C), will be used for departures in south-easterly direction. Effective April 22, 2021, the "old" short departure route over AMTIX will be activated per NfL. As of July 15, 2021, the "old" short departure route over AMTIX will be published again in the Aeronautical Information Publication Germany (AIP).

You can find the complete DFS announcement here.