Dear Members,

Autumn is coming and with it apparently a second wave of corona, which will present us with immense challenges. However, our industry is not so much confronted with the problems on the medical side - these are widely known by now and the rules adopted are being observed in the aviation sector - as with those from the political side.

We reject the blanket quarantine regulations for returnees from risk areas, which the German government is expected to introduce from mid-October onwards. They would mean a partial lockdown for air traffic!

Instead, we are campaigning politically and publicly together with other affected associations and companies for better test strategies against Corona. This would enable us to meet demands for medical protection AND preserve the freedom of the people. More about this in the article on our political demands below.

In addition, we have the following topics this time:

• 2 VC Candidates elected to the TUI Supervisory Board
• Members wanted for Airport & Ground Environment working group
• Free of charge virtual EASA Safety Conference

You can also find more current news on our new VC Info website vcinfo.vcockpit.de (German) and on our social media channels on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Enjoy the read!

We demand: No forced quarantine! - #TestStattArrest

The German government plans to set up a new digital registration site for returnees from risk areas, which is to replace the "exit cards". As soon as it is ready, new testing and quarantine regulations will also apply, which could be the case from mid-October. Specifically, the federal government is planning a 10-day compulsory quarantine for all those returning from risk areas. At the earliest after five days of isolation, travellers can take a corona test which - if negative - would release them from quarantine.

For us, like countless other associations and companies in our industry, these blanket quarantine plans for travellers from high-risk areas are a source of great concern. In addition to the confusion caused by different - and constantly changing - corona regulations on international, European, national, regional and local levels, general quarantine rules would reduce the willingness to travel even further.

Currently, there is immense uncertainty anyways as to when and on the basis of which criteria regions will be declared risk areas by which bodies. The uncertainty for passengers resulting from the government's plans to send them to forced quarantine without a way out through a test is deterring travellers even more than before. This endangers our jobs to a high degree.

We consider the government's plans to be disproportionate, since adequate risk minimization can be achieved by other, milder means. It would make much more sense to further develop and differentiate the testing strategy and expand capacities than to send mostly healthy, non-infected people into quarantine across the board.

We have therefore joined a campaign of the German Travel Association DRV under the hashtag #TestStattArrest, which demands effective testing strategies instead of blanket quarantine rules. We would be happy if you would share and like the corresponding posts on our channels.

2 VC Candidates elected to the TUI Supervisory Board

The VC can chalk up a great success in today's TUI Supervisory Board elections. Both our top candidate for the union list, Tanja Viehl, and Flight Captain Andreas Barczewski were elected as members. This means that for the first time the VC will have two positions on the Supervisory Board of the world's largest tourism group.

Tanja and Andreas have positioned themselves as representatives of all of the approximately 70,000 Group employees and will place job preservation at the centre of their considerations in their board activities.

Congratulations to both of you, all the best for the tasks ahead and above all, good luck in securing jobs!

Members wanted for Airport & Ground Environment working group

What does the perfect airport look like? What do pilots need on the airfield? What safety reserves and systems should an airport offer? How should taxiways be constructed and named?

These questions and other exciting topics such as rescue & firefighting, bird strike prevention and the VC airport check are tasks of the VC's Airport & Ground Environment working group. We are looking for people who are interested in thinking outside the box. Your experience as a pilot, motivation and team spirit are ideal prerequisites for working with us.

Interested? Please contact us by mail to agage@vcockpit.de. We look forward to your message.

LRST Infobox

Latest information from the Local Runway Safety Teams at the airports is available on the VC-Info-Website: https://vcinfo.vcockpit.de/artikel/lrst-infobox.

Online and free of charge: 2020 EASA Annual Safety Conference

This year's annual EASA Safety Conference's title is "The road to a safe and sustainable recovery". It will be held as a virtual event on the afternoon of 04 November and morning of 05 November. The conference is free of charge, participants only need to register. The following topics are on the agenda:

• Operating Safely and Effectively - A Safe Return to Operations
• Welcoming Passengers - The Aviation Health Safety Protocol
• Caring for our people through the crisis
• Enhancing Environmental Sustainability - Recovering Greener
• Unveiling the Data4Safety Programme

International Day of the Air Traffic Controller

On 20 October, the International Federation of Air Traffic Controller Associations (IFATCA) will celebrate the "International Day of the Air Traffic Controller". As the next waypoints will not be published until after the 20th, we wish our counterparts on the other side of the radio all the best already now and would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the outstanding work and good service.