Dear Members,

the Lufthansa rescue has come very far - but unfortunately the future of the company is still uncertain. The German government and Lufthansa have finally agreed on measures that can secure thousands of jobs, at least for the time being. Now it is above all important that the EU Commission does not impose disproportionate requirements on Lufthansa regarding slots and sustainability, so that the company remains competitive. We will continue to monitor these developments critically and are in contact with government representatives in Berlin and Brussels.


Unfortunately, Easyjet has now announced cuts and, according to media reports, wants to get rid of up to 30 percent of its workforce. It will be a big task to keep as many jobs as possible in Germany. Of course, we are ready for negotiations! And at Tuifly and Condor we are also continuing to work with all sides to preserve as many jobs as possible. The recovery of the industry and the German airlines can only succeed together with the employees.


Many colleagues have sent us current photos of the Corona situation, among others Dominik Weniger, who took the cover picture of this issue. Thank you all very much for this, you are helping us a lot with our public relations work. Among other things, we have created a video overview, which you can find here on Twitter, for example.


In addition, we have the following topics in these waypoints:

  • Farid Merdaci is a new board member
  • AIRPROX Magazin 2020 published
  • IFALPA Training Considerations for Return to Operations

You can also find more current news on our social media channels on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. We wish you a good read.


With kind regards,
Markus Wahl, VC Board and Team

Farid Merdaci joins VC Executive Board

Farid Merdaci has been appointed new member of the Executive Board on May 26. Farid flies as a captain on Lufthansa's A330/A340 fleet and has already been a member of the PV of Lufthansa and Condor Berlin as well as spokesman and deputy spokesman of KTK, among others. Welcome to the Board, Farid.

General Meeting postponed once again

The General Meeting, originally planned for 30 July, has been postponed once again due to the continuing tense situation and restrictions caused by COVID 19. This was decided by the Board in its meeting on 26 May. The new date will be in the current year and will be announced as soon as it is fixed.

Learning from Mistakes - AIRPROX Magazin 2020 published

The Aircraft Proximity Evaluation Group (APEG) has published its annual AIRPROX Magazin, in which exemplary aircraft proximities are presented anonymously and the collected findings are presented. By raising awareness of airspaces, the rules applicable in each case and understanding other airspace users, safety can be significantly improved, especially in lower airspace.


Experts from all areas of aviation work together in the APEG and meet regularly under the moderation of the Federal Supervisory Authority for Air Navigation Services (BAF). The VC is also an integral part of this body. The AIRPROX Magazin is published in German only. You can download it here or order a printed copy from the BAF website.

Current Press Releases

We have issued three press releases (only in German) in the last few days on the complicated negotiations on the Lufthansa rescue package. We consider this high rate necessary to make our views and arguments heard and not to leave the interpretation of the developments to the company and politicians alone.

IFALPA: Training Considerations for Return to Operations

In its new Position Paper "Training Considerations for Return to Operations", IFALPA identifies a need to re-establish compliance with the ICAO standards as interpreted in each State's regulations, as operations begin to return to normal. This needs to be done in a safe and efficient manner. The resumption of operations presents many challenges including the requalification and training of pilots.


For those pilots who have been away from active line flying, there is a need to ensure not only that they are fully qualified, but also that they regain proficiency and confidence before returning to line operations. Pilots returning to the line must be: Qualified, Proficient, and Confident.

Comply with local COVID-19-restrictions

IFALPA would like to stress that it is extremely important to comply with local COVID-19 restrictions during layovers for all pilots operating under the current conditions. Violations of such regulations can have serious consequences, including loss of license and even imprisonment in more serious cases.


One such case became known from Singapore in mid-May. A FedEx pilot from the USA had been sentenced there to four weeks in prison for leaving his hotel for three hours contrary to the restrictions. Click here for the ABC News report on the case.

Helicopter Safety – A White Paper

Even though the Flight Safety Foundation White Paper addresses helicopter operations in the US only,  taking a broader view may be a good idea for helicopter operations on our side of the atlantic ocean, too. FSF’s White Paper deals with flight safety challenges and potential mitigation measures aimed at improving flight safety – measures we may want to consider as well.

News from Associations, Organisations and Authorities


ECA


IFALPA


EASA


ICAO

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