Dear Members,

as the development of the Covid-19 crisis is still very dynamic, here is our latest update. Among other things you will find the following topics:

• Lufthansa exploits Corona crisis against staff
• Supports aviation - #WeAreAviation
• International recognition of licenses and medicals

Information and sources of information about the coronavirus can be found on our website. We will keep this site updated permanently.

We also publish current news on our social media channels on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

We wish you an interesting read and happy Easter.

With best regards,

Markus Wahl, VC Board and Team

Lufthansa exploits Covid-19 crisis against staff

In an interview with German news channel ntv, VC President Markus Wahl condemned Lufthansa's actions at its 100% subsidiary Germanwings with the words "What Lufthansa is doing is disgusting and cold-blooded". He continued: "Obviously, under the guise of the crisis, the situation is to be exploited in order to push ahead with the company's restructuring under the pressure that now prevails against the personnel."

Watch the whole ntv-interview here.

Markus did another interview with the newspaper "Frankfurter Rundschau".

VC also condemned the shutdown of Germanwings in a press release on 7 April.

Before the announcement that Germanwings' flight operations would be discontinued was made, the unions and associations VC, UFO, Verdi, IGL/TGL and ACA had jointly appealed to the Lufthansa Group Executive Board on Monday, 6 April. The primary goal of it was to keep all employees on board.

Markus Wahl commented: "The announcement that in an unprecedented crisis such as the current one, a part of the workforce will be confronted with an existential threat is met with incomprehension. Right now, every decision must take the concerns of all employees into account. This is the only way employees can stand behind the Group and work towards stabilisation.

For us, Lufthansa's claim #WeAreInThisTogether actually means #NoOneLeftBehind.

Find the joint appeal to Lufthansa here.

Support aviation - #WeAreAviation

In order to show its commitment to the entire aviation industry during the Covid-19 crisis, VC has created a frame for profile pictures on Facebook. Show your support for aviation jobs and the whole aviation sector by framing your profile picture, too!

If you would like to join in, just click on the small camera (set profile picture) in your Facebook account. Then add your design. If this frame does not appear immediately, just enter "We Are Aviation" in the search field, then it should be available for selection. Or use this link to get to the page.

You may also want to use your framed picture for all channels such as Twitter or LinkedIn. Simply right-click the picture to save it and then upload it to your other profiles.

Defying Covid-19 - By working from home

Even in times of Corona restrictions, our office services are 100% available. Having moved staff work places to their homes, member support, accounting and administration keep working with full thrust. We continue to represent your interests with employers, authorities and politics no matter the situation.

International validity of Licences and Medicals

The Covid-19 pandemic has created numerous problems with the renewal and recognition of licences. In Germany, some problems have been alleviated for the time being by the general decree of the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (German Federal Aviation Authority), which extends the validity of many documents by four months, depending on validity or expiry date.

However, since this is a national decision, it does not yet tell anything about international recognition. The bottom line is that states and operators must ensure the recognition of licenses and medicals in all overflown states as well as in the destination country before a flight takes off.

To make this possible, ICAO has sent a so called State Letter to its member states, requesting them to submit information regarding any changes to the validity of licences and medicals as well as the recognition of such documents from foreign countries. These information will be shared by ICAO with all its member states, but that will take some time.

IFALPA has in turn issued a Safety Bulletin with guidance for pilots to help judge the current situation and check whether you are legally entitled to fly your mission.

Important to know:

The recency requirement to have three take offs and landings within the last 90 days is not affected by the general decree of the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt. This requirement still has to be met.

IFALPA Position Paper Crew Fatigue Management

IFALPA has become concerned that the COVID-19 pandemic is putting pressure on some operators and crew to neglect or suspend some aspects of aviation safety, such as the standards for crew fatigue management. As the aviation industry adapts to the restrictions put in place to combat COVID-19, the regular fatigue measures for flights are being pushed to their limits more than normal.

The IFALPA Human Performance Committee Fatigue Management Working Group has provided some initial recommendations for operators and crews to consider whilst managing the risks of fatigue during these operations. Find the Position Paper "Fatigue Mitigation for Flights Affected by COVID-19 Restrictions" here.

New contact details of the Lufthansa Cockpit Trust-Team

The Lufthansa Cockpit Trust-Team (German: Lufthansa Vertrauensteam Cockpit) has new contact details:

• Kai Feldhusen CPT/DLH +49 6195 901794
• Corinna Mohr CPT/DLH +49 151 58911436
• Marcus Baum CPT/DLH +49 151 58942096