ANNUAL REPORT
2014
SECURITY >>
NICO VOORBACH's MESSAGE >>
ECA IN THE MEDIA >>
ECA VISION & MISSION >>
Content Highlights
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OCCURRENCE REPORTING >>
03
Message from NICO VOORBACH, ECA PRESIDENT
A year in review!
Another year has passed. Again it was a year where we as ECA were involved in many areas in the European arena to make sure aviation stays safe, sustainable and fair. In this annual report you can read about some areas where we were active. First of all we have established a Task Force of pilot experts that looked at competition practises in the civil aviation industry worldwide. We see more and more a shift from a competition based on the product, fares and services to a competition based on labour force. Emerging business models take full advantage of their labour forces, including pilots. We see that some European airlines hire their crew on zero hour contracts, base them at virtual bases outside Europe or even hire crews from outside the continent. Airlines from outside the region compete in Europe while receiving financial support from their Governments, a practice which is not allowed in Europe. All this undermines the European aviation business and threatens jobs and employment conditions of its pilots. We held several meetings with the European Commission and Members of the European Parliament on this issue. Also we work closely together with our American counterparts at ALPA-International, who face the same problems. On the technical side we continue to be involved in the work of EASA and EUROCONTROL. Within EASA we contribute with expertise on issues such as Multi-crew Pilot Licences (MPL), Crew Resource Management (CRM), Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVR) and the Single European Sky project (SES2+). Also we have given our inputs to the revision of the EASA Basic Regulation. On a positive note we have to say that our inputs to the new Occurrence Reporting Regulation resulted in a final product that ensures all data from safety occurrences in aviation will help increase safe operations in Europe. I am very happy that we welcomed two Associate Members within ECA. Moroccan ALPA and Israel ALPA joined the ECA family during our June Conference with a standing ovation. Although we have been working closely together for many years with those two Associations we felt we needed even closer relationships. On the communications side we have produced several publications to underline our positions and expertise on several subjects. This year we published the “Pilots' vision on weather†and before the year ends, we will publish ECA’s vision on aviation security, the Single European Sky and Fair Competition. I would like to thank all our volunteer experts without who we could never have done the job we are doing now. Next to their work as Professional Pilots they spend their spare time making sure aviation in Europe remains as safe as it is now and becomes even safer. With the support of our staff they make the difference. Together we are and always will be: “Piloting safetyâ€!
Nico Voorbach ECA President
Revising ECA's Vision & Mission
VISION
Our visions encompass a safety, professional and organisational perspective.
Our mission is to represent the collective interests of professional pilots at European level, striving for the highest levels of aviation safety and fostering social rights and quality employment.
From time to time, it is essential that we re-examine our core values and visions for the future. This is why ECA’s team recently revised the organisation’s mission & vision statements. These new statements reflect more clearly where we are, where we want to be and how we will accomplish our goals. Keeping in mind that aviation safety and a global fair and social aviation market are at the centre of everything we do!
Europe’s aviation is the safest and most secure aviation system in the world; European safety legislation is based on strong prescriptive rules, supplemented by performance based elements; overseen by genuinely effective National Supervisory Authorities and EASA, with genuine accountability at the appropriate level. Pilots are trained to the highest standards of airmanship based on real flying experience, and with a thorough understanding of automation use and its limitations. All pilots work within a Just Culture environment where they are encouraged to engage in open reporting, exercise independent professional judgement, and exercise commander’s authority without fear of sanction or negative repercussion. The European aviation security environment recognises professional pilots as a valuable part of a risk based and differentiated chain that does not impede their professional role; one that is fully supported by EU wide intelligence sharing and high quality risk assessment available to all.
Safety Vision
ECA Professional vision
ECA represents over 38.000 pilots from across Europe. This entails a huge responsibility towards the pilots as a professional group. Every professional Pilot operating in Europe is represented by ECA MAs, is covered by the best possible Collective Labour Agreement, and is subject to EU laws and EEA countries’ social laws, in a global fair and social aviation market. Europe’s legislation leaves no place for companies engaging in social dumping based on ‘atypical’ forms of employment forum-shopping /flags of convenience that distort fair competition within Europe. The companies’ freedoms to operate across national borders are matched by corresponding workers’ rights to organise, bargain and enforce labour agreements transnationally.
ECA & its MAs, representing the pilot profession, lead developments in all areas of the aviation industry, particularly in the safety, political and professional arenas All European pilots are represented by ECA & its MAs, regardless of geographical location, the size of their company, or the type of operations and recognise the relevance of this representation for their future ECA & its MAs are flexible and will continuously evolve, to stay ahead of the developments in the industry and the EU ECA and its MAs are united, using their respective strengths, personnel and resources at the appropriate level to be most effective In a globalised aviation market, safety and good working conditions are protected through the joint work of IFALPA, ECA and MAs.
Organisational vision
Two new ECA Associate Members joined ECA in 2014: ISRALPA & Moroccan ALPA! Both ISRALPA and Moroccan ALPA have long contributed to ECA’s work as observers and by joining ECA they are making an important step towards the European pilot community. The two new Associate Members will strengthen the ECA Working Groups with experience and high quality experts. ISRALPA and Moroccan ALPA represent a clear asset for ECA in the framework of EU’s strategy to create an open aviation market with its neighbouring countries!
Changing political landscape! 2014 was an election year across Europe. ECA took this as an opportunity to reach out to pilots and encourage voting & electing the new European Parliament. Our initiative “7 pilots on Election Day†reflected the views of pilots across Europe why voting matters. At the same time, pilot associations across the EU reached out to their Members of the European Parliament candidates raising awareness about pressing issues of EU aviation. The awareness raising campaign will conclude with a networking event at the EU Parliament in January 2015!
Source: http://www.lunion.presse.fr/
ECA in the media
Source: levif.be
Source: De Morgen
Source: KRO
Source: http://www.traveller-online.at/
EU Social Dialogue group calls for tough stance against Flags of Convenience European labor groups are warning that so-called Flags of Convenience — widely used in the maritime sector — are threatening Europe’s aviation industry. The Social Dialogue Committee for Civil Aviation in a press conference Friday urged the European Commission and newly elected Members of the Parliament to take “urgent measures†against the use of Flags of Convenience in aviation. The Sectoral Social Dialogue Committees, established by the Commission in 1998, are ... are the official EU representative forum for socio-economic interests. The Sectoral Social Dialogue for Civil Aviation is the European Labour Management Body representing employers and employees in the EU aviation sector. The European Cockpit Association (ECA), the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), and the Association of European Airlines (AEA) are among the members of the civil aviation committee.In the maritime sector, Flags of Convenience are used to secure access to laxer regulatory, taxation and labor regimes, the Social Dialogue Committee said. A joint declaration signed by the group warned against the rise of Flags of Convenience in aviation, saying it would “lead European aviation to the fate of the decimated European maritime industry with almost no European crew left.â€Citing the precedent now being set by Norwegian Air International , a non-European Union airline registered in but not operating from Ireland, and flying within Europe and to the US using Thailand-based crews on a variety of Far Eastern contracts, the committee said airlines using Flags of Convenience would “undercut fair competition in the sector, avoid many regulations and scour the globe to exploit labor without European social rights and standards.†Vice chair of the Social Dialogue Committee Jon Horne said: “The inconvenient truth is that such companies are not creating new ‘business models’ in the market. Rather, they are exploiting regulatory loopholes and insufficiently coordinated legislation behind a distraction of publicity over a few cheap flights. They blatantly undermine the international rules and agreements designed to ensure fair competition and employment standards.â€He said that Flags of Convenience represent an “exploitation model,†which, if “not stopped now,†would simply force “currently responsible airlines into a race to the bottom and aviation jobs exit Europe for good.â€Proposed changes include revision of legislation on visas and work permits for non-EU based crews, as well as clarity on “principal place of business for airlines.â€
Source: Flight Global
ECA: "Mayday Mayday" wins over Ryanair defamation allegations Brussels, 17 April 2014 European pilots welcome the landmark decision of the Court of Amsterdam on Ryanair’s defamation claims against the Dutch TV channel KRO. The court held that KRO provided sufficient evidence to support its claims about Ryanair’s company culture and fuel policy, as made during the two-episode programme – which also won a prize for investigative journalism in 2013 – “Brandpunt Reporterâ€. ECA is pleased with the decision supporting the fundamental right to freedom of speech and reaffirming pilots’ authority to take operational decisions independently and to raise safety concerns without fear of repercussions. In a verdict published on 16 April, the court declares that the serious allegations about Ryanair’s fuel policy as well as the company “fear culture†are sufficiently supported by facts and evidence obtained by KRO in preparation for the broadcast. The court ruled that the investigative programme “Brandpunt Reporter†was handled correctly and provided sufficient evidence and right of response to Ryanair. It added that this topic is of great public interest and that KRO was right to cover it.“Yesterday’s verdict is watched closely by the entire pilot community in Europe. It is a victory not only for KRO TV but for the entire aviation industry,†says Nico Voorbach, President of the European Cockpit Association. “This court ruling will re-balance our confidence in safety reporting mechanisms as well as the need for pilots to publicly express concerns if they feel the regulatory authorities are not listening to them. The verdict is also a validation of our professional integrity and our ultimate role as commanders to take decisions independently, based on our expertise and professionalism, without fear of being dismissed or demoted. The cases reported by KRO seem serious enough for the European Aviation Safety Agency to investigate and act. This way we can ensure passenger safety in Europe.â€This ruling ensures KRO does not need to retract the broadcasts or remove them from the Internet. The court specifically acknowledges that safety concerns regarding the airline have been supported by sufficient evidence. Finally, the court ruling orders Ryanair to cover the costs of the legal proceedings.“ The true value of the decision is that it sends an unmistakable message,†says Philip von Schöppenthau, ECA Secretary General. “It is regrettable that the chilling effect of legal activity by a company against pilots, professional associations and the media may have the effect of suppressing important information of public interest. It cannot be excluded that further events involving fuel emergencies in the recent past have not been reported in the media. Hopefully, the decision will lift any self-imposed censorship and retractions by some media in the face of legal or commercial pressure that we notice recently in Europe.â€
Des pilotes de ligne de moins en moins formés La demande croissante de professionnels de l'aérien dans les années à venir pourrait remettre en cause une instruction longue et de qualité. Pilote n'est pas un métier en crise. Selon les prévisions, le trafic aérien va continuer d'augmenter de 5 % par an jusqu'en 2030, suscitant une demande très importante de pilotes de ligne dans les années à venir. Le constructeur américain Boeing prévoit le recrutement de pas moins de 533.000 pilotes entre 2014 et 2033, dont 216.000 en Asie-Pacifique. Du fait dece besoin gigantesque, les professionnels du secteur redoutent une baisse de la qualité des formations, un apprentissage écourté et un manque d'expérience dangereux en cas de situation critique en vol…«Le risque est que de plus en plus de pilotes soient “produits†en moins de temps», résume Philip von Schöppenthau, secrétaire général de l'association européenne European Cockpit Association (ECA), qui représente plus de 38.000 pilotes européens. Ces formations accélérées pourraient donner des pilotes moins bien entraînés et donc susceptibles de prendre de mauvaises décisions en cas d'incidents. Formation ultra rapide Il faut aujourd'hui en moyenne deux ans pour former un copilote. Pour devenir commandant de bord, en revanche, il faut faire preuve de nombreuses années d'expériences. Huit à douze ans chez Air France, dix à quinze chez British Airwayset au moins huit ans chez Singapore Airlines, par exemple. Mais une nouvelle licence spéciale permet une formation ultra rapide. Définie conjointement par une école et une compagnie aérienne, la licence dite «multi-crew pilot licence» (MPL) permet dans certains cas d'être formé en 45 semaines. «La définition de notre formation accélérée avec Air France nous a pris plus d'un an», explique Marc Houalla, directeur de l'École nationale de l'aviation civile (Enac), basée à Toulouse et mondialement reconnue. S'il considère que ce type de formation est une bonne idée, il s'inquiète des parcours de validation trop courts. «Dans ces métiers, la phase de maturation est primordiale et l'expérience a beaucoup d'importance». Une considération confirmée par Yves Deshayes, président du Syndicat national des pilotes de lignes (SNPL) en France: «Pour l'accident du vol Air Algérie, on a beaucoup parlé du radar météo. Or, cet outil ne se maîtrise bien qu'avec de l'expérience, car il n'est pas reproduit en simulateur de vol.» Le syndicaliste se méfie également de ces formations intégrées. «Le pilote est trop dépendant de la compagnie qui le forme, explique-t-il, ce qui peut nuire à son libre arbitre.»Plus récemment, l'European Cockpit Association s'est alarmée de l'émergence du concept de «crew relief co-pilot», des pilotes «remplaçants» dont l'unique rôle serait de relayer les pilotes en phase de croisière. Ils ne seraient donc pas formés au décollage et à l'atterrissage. «Ce serait comme délivrer un permis de conduire à un chauffeur de voiture l'autorisant uniquement à conduire sur autoroute sans avoir appris à y entrer ou à en sortir», s'insurge Philip von Schöppenthau, précisant que ce concept, poussé par un certain nombre de compagnies, est à l'étude au sein de l'Union européenne.
La formation des pilotes de ligne, un défi planétaire Le gigantesque besoin en pilotes de ligne --533.000 dans les 20 prochaines années-- fait redouter aux professionnels du secteur une formation au rabais. Ce sont eux, pourtant, qui transporteront tous les ans quelques milliards de passagers à travers la planète."Le risque est que de plus en plus de pilotes soient +produits+ en de moins en moins de temps pour répondre à cette demande croissante", résume Philip von Schöppenthau, secrétaire général de l'association européenne ECA (European Cockpit Association). Avec pour conséquence, une formation de moindre qualité, des pilotes moins bien entraînés et donc, susceptibles de prendre les mauvaises décisions en cas d'incidents, estime cette association, basée à Bruxelles.Il faut aujourd'hui en moyenne deux ans pour former un copilote. Et des années d'expérience supplémentaire (huit à douze ans chez Air France, 10 à 15 chez British Airways et au moins huit ans chez Singapore Airlines) pour devenir commandant de bord.Pour autant, depuis quelques années, la licence, dite "multi-crew pilot licence" (MPL), permet, en théorie, de devenir pilote en 45 semaines."Un MPL mal interprété par une compagnie et des écoles de formation pourrait produire des pilotes qui n'auraient pas tous les bons requis pour devenir un bon pilote. Tout cela ne nous semble pas raisonnable car il faut un temps minimum de maturation", explique Marc Houalla, directeur de l'Ecole nationale de l'aviation civile (ENAC), basée à Toulouse (sud-ouest de la France) et mondialement reconnue.- Piloter sans qualification pour décoller et atterrir ? L'ECA, qui représente plus de 38.000 pilotes européens sur les quelque 150.000 estimés dans le monde, s'inquiète depuis longtemps de l'évolution de leur formation.Elle a déjà dénoncé les dangers d'utiliser toujours plus les simulateurs de vol au détriment des vols réels. Elle interpelle aussi régulièrement sur les dangers de l'automatisation élevée des avions, qui aboutit à sous-entraîner les pilotes au prétexte que les systèmes embarqués, extrêmement fiables, prémunissent de nombreux dysfonctionnements. Plus récemment, elle s'est alarmée de l'émergence du concept de "Crew relief co-pilot": l'apparition potentielle de pilotes d'un genre nouveau dont le rôle serait de relayer les pilotes en phase de croisière, mais qui ne seraient pas formés au décollage et à l'atterrissage."Ce serait comme délivrer un permis de conduire à un chauffeur de voiture l'autorisant uniquement à conduire sur autoroute sans avoir appris à y entrer ou à en sortir", s'insurge M. von Schöppenthau, précisant que ce concept, poussé par un certain nombre de compagnies, est à l'étude au sein de l'Union européenne.Selon lui, la tendance à abaisser le niveau de formation a déjà commencé et "elle doit être enrayée". Marc Houalla ajoute de son côté qu'à moyen terme, le manque criant de commandants de bord et de copilotes pourrait se traduire par l'émergence d'écoles de formation éphémères, "des créations d'opportunités qui disparaîtront quand la croissance ne sera plus là "."Ce genre d'écoles pose problème car dans ces métiers, l'expérience a beaucoup d'importance, la mémoire des instructeurs est fondamentale", explique-t-il, même s'il n'y a pas de corrélation directe entre formation au rabais et accidents d'avion, les mauvais pilotes étant, généralement, détectés au sein des compagnies. Avec 100.000 vols quotidiens attendus cette année et bien plus dans 20 ans -- le trafic aérien augmentant de près de 5% par an-- la formation de pilotes qualifiés est cruciale pour maintenir le niveau élevé de sécurité. Le transport aérien, malgré les accidents récents en Ukraine et au Mali, reste le mode de déplacement le plus sûr au monde.La formation des pilotes "est effectivement un challenge", reconnaît lui-même Patrick Ky, directeur de l'Agence européenne de sécurité aérienne. "Nous mettons en place des contrôles de plus en plus poussés sur les instituts européens de formation. Cela ne se passe pas sans douleur". Mutualiser les moyens Chez Boeing - auteur de cette prévision: 533.000 pilotes à recruter entre 2014 et 2033, dont 216.000 en Asie-Pacifique-- on préfère s'attacher aux solutions."C'est un problème mondial qui doit être pris à bras le corps par tous les acteurs impliqués: les compagnies, les constructeurs d'avions, les organismes de formation et les autorités de régulation du monde entier", souligne Sherry Carbary, vice-présidente de Boeing Flight Services. L'avionneur américain propose lui-même des formations via sa filiale Jeppesen.L'un des moyens de répondre à cette forte demande passe par la mutualisation des moyens de formation, estime Eric Prévot, commandant de bord sur B777 et porte-parole d'Air France.Parallèlement, la compagnie française a déjà assuré la formation de jeunes pilotes de ligne de China Eastern, un de ses partenaires au sein de l'alliance commerciale SkyTeam, "leur outil de formation n'étant pas pour le moment dimensionné pour répondre à leurs besoins de croissance", explique-t-il.Air France forme aussi actuellement les instructeurs d'Airbus A380 d'Etihad pour qu'ils puissent former à leur tour de nouveaux pilotes.L'enjeu est de "mettre en phase les contenus de formation avec les situations réellement rencontrées", souligne M. Prévot. "Il n'est d'aucune utilité de multiplier les heures de pilotage dans un avion servant à l'épandage, si on veut devenir pilote de ligne".Marc Houalla ajoute qu'"un des freins à la formation est la divergence des réglementations". Aux Etats-Unis, au Canada et en Australie, la formation initiale comprend ainsi moins d'heures de vol qu'en Europe. Elle doit toutefois impérativement être assortie de 1.500 heures de vol réel, souvent accomplies dans les aéroclubs où les pilotes s'aguerrissent sur des monomoteurs à défaut d'avions de ligne, et ce, regrette-t-il, au risque "d'acquérir de nombreuses mauvaises habitudes". En Europe, après 250 à 300 heures de vol, les pilotes dits "cadets" vont au contraire poursuivre leur formation au sein d'une compagnie aérienne. "On est ainsi confronté à deux modèles", dit-il.Face à la coexistence des deux systèmes, certaines compagnies plus récentes, à l'instar de celles du Moyen-Orient, mixent leurs recrutements.Singapore Airlines (SIA) et SilkAir forment elles-mêmes leurs pilotes au sein du Singapore Flying College, filiale de SIA. Et il faut près de 30 mois aux apprentis pour devenir "First officer", équivalent de copilote chez Air France. Une formation à plus de 100.000 euros Reste que la formation de pilotes n'est pas accessible à tout le monde.CTC Aviation, l'un des principaux centres de formation en Europe basé au Royaume-Uni, indique que les candidats devront débourser environ 106.000 euros. Mais il fait valoir que 99% des cadets trouvent un débouché dans une compagnie aérienne. Les salaires annuels des pilotes débutants oscillent en outre entre 35.000 et 60.000 euros, selon qu'ils sont sur moyen ou long-courrier.La demande des pilotes recouvre par ailleurs des réalités bien différentes. En Europe, les jeunes diplômés peinent à trouver un emploi dans des compagnies souvent en restructuration. "Et pour éviter que leur licence ne soit plus valide faute de voler, certains acceptent de travailler gratuitement pendant un an dans certaines compagnies asiatiques", explique un expert sous couvert d'anonymat."C'est accepter de débourser 45.000 dollars supplémentaires pour éviter de se retrouver sur le carreau", déplore-t-il.
Source: ATW Online
Piloten waarschuwen voor 'race to the bottom' in internationale luchtvaart Als de Europese politici niet snel maatregelen nemen, dreigt de luchtvaartsector ten prooi te vallen aan een 'race to the bottom'. Daar waarschuwen de piloten en hun belangenverenigingen voor. De Scandinavische maatschappij Norwegian startte eind vorig jaar als eerste met het vliegen onder een goedkope, buitenlandse vlag - naar het voorbeeld van de gangbare praktijk in de scheepvaart - en de piloten vrezen dat andere maatschappijen op dezelfde kar zullen springen. Op een persconferentie in Brussel kreeg Norwegian er vrijdag stevig van langs van afgevaardigden van de European Cockpit Association, de Europese Transportarbeiders Federatie (ETF) en het sociaal overlegcomité voor de burgerluchtvaart. Ze beschuldigen de maatschappij ervan een schimmige constructie te hebben opgezet om "te parasiteren op het Europees sociaal systeem", maar er geen bijdragen aan te leveren. Volgens de pilotenverenigingen werkt Norwegian met Europese piloten die (tijdelijke) contracten naar Singaporees model moeten tekenen en hun officiële basis in Bangkok hebben. Om met Thais boordpersoneel te kunnen werken, liet Norwegian zijn vliegtuigen in Ierland registreren. "Dit is geen businessmodel, maar een uitbuitingsmodel", zegt François Ballestero van de ETF. Er wordt gewaarschuwd voor massaal banenverlies in Europa, verslechterende arbeidsomstandigheden, sociale dumping en oneerlijke concurrentie als andere luchtvaartmaatschappijen het voorbeeld van Norwegian volgen op hun intercontinentale verbindingen. `
ECA warnt vor Sozialdumping auf der Langstrecke Eine Vereinigung von Piloten aus ganz Europa hat vor Sozialdumping bei Langstreckenflügen gewarnt. Das von der Billigfluggesellschaft Norwegian angestrebte Geschäftsmodell bedrohe europäische Sozialstandards und führe zur Ausbeutung außer-europäischer Arbeitskräfte, sagten Vertreter der European Cockpit Association (ECA) am Freitag in Brüssel. Norwegian bietet seit Anfang Juli Diskont-Flüge zwischen London und New York an. Die Airline will künftig ihre Operationsbasis nach Irland verlegen und von dort aus günstige Flüge in weitere Übersee-Destinationen anbieten. Die Pilotenvereinigung kritisiert, der Schritt diene dazu, die laxen Regulierungen in Irland zu nützen und künftig unter „falscher Flagge“ mit Crews aus Südostasien fliegen. „Die Crews haben dort keine richtige Basis“, sagte ECA-Vertreter Jon Horne. Es gehe der Airline darum, keine Sozialabgaben zu zahlen und die Piloten und Flugbegleiter in prekären Arbeitsverhältnissen zu halten – ein „Ausbeutungs-Modell“ statt eines Business-Modells.Der US-Kongress verabschiedete im Juni ein Gesetz, das die Flüge von Norwegian von Irland in die USA unter dem Open-Skies-Abkommen mit der EU verhindern könnte. Die europäische Pilotenvereinigung will nun auch Druck auf die EU ausüben und fordert das Schließen von „Schlupflöchern“, die Sozialdumping möglich machen. Andernfalls könne das Modell Norwegian Schule machen und die fünf Millionen Jobs in der zivilen Luftfahrt in Europa bedrohen, sagte Horne. Die Organisation verweist darauf, dass auch die Diskont-Carrier Ryanair und Easyjet bis 2019 in das Langstreckenflug-Geschäft einsteigen wollen.Die Arbeitsbedingungen von außereuropäischem Kabinenpersonal auf Flügen nach Europa steht auch bei anderen Airlines in der Kritik. Die SPÖ-Europaabgeordnete Evelyn Regner forderte die EU-Kommission auf, den Umgang von Qatar Airways mit seinen Mitarbeitern zu prüfen. Die Fluglinie aus dem Golfstaat greife massiv in das Privatleben der Mitarbeiter ein, schrieb die Abgeordnete in einer Aussendung am Freitag. Etwa müssten „weibliche Flugbegleiterinnen eine fünfjährige Heiratssperre unterschreiben und danach den Arbeitgeber im Falle einer Heirat um Erlaubnis fragen. Eine Frau soll nun aus Angst vor Jobverlust sogar eine Abtreibung vorgenommen haben“, erklärte Regner. Die Pilotenvereinigung ECA wirft Qatar Airways indes „Wettbewerbsverzerrung“ vor, da die Airline im Staatsbesitz sei und etwa nur sehr niedrige Flughafengebühren zahlen müsse.
European Cockpit Association slams multicrew pilot licence Flightcrew representatives have criticised the relatively new multicrew pilot licence (MPL) and its practical implementation by regulators, flight training organisations and the air transport industry. The European Cockpit Association (ECA) suggests that the higher level of reliance on simulation rather than real flying during training should have been introduced gradually to see if it could produce equivalent pilot capabilities, but that it was rushed in with no such trial and therefore cannot be seen as having established its validity. The MPL was introduced in 2006 as a means of enabling pilots to be trained ab initio, specifically for the co-pilot task with a particular airline, rather than via the commercial pilot license route whereby pilots are trained as solo aircrew who have to be taught crew skills after the award of their CPL before taking up a co-piloting job. It was also the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s first attempt to develop a competency-based pilot qualification by defining all the skills a pilot has to acquire, and what the trainee must be able to do to demonstrate that each skill has been acquired. This definition of competency and the way the MPL course monitors skill acquisition throughout a student’s progress comprise the one part of the concept that the ECA accepts as completely sound. The ECA says there is no proof that the MPL route enables graduates to be assessed for captaincy potential. It also points out that the system was so recently introduced that none of the still comparatively few MPL pilots in airline service have yet reached command, so proof of concept is still awaited.Above all, the ECA's report expresses considerable scepticism about the way in which national aviation authorities have developed the MPL syllabus, and the way flight training organisations and airlines teach it. In practice, says the ECA, the way MPL courses have been implemented “shows the competency-based training concept was misunderstood or misinterpreted. Due to this lack of understanding of the competency based concept both by authorities and by approved training organisations, MPL syllabi are often only hours-based and approved as such by the authorities. This shows that authorities and other stakeholders need to receive the appropriate education on the CBT concept, its implementation, approval and oversight processes.â€The ECA has not, however, called for a withdrawal of the MPL. Instead, its report contains a long list of recommendations designed to ensure it produces pilots of a quality equivalent to or better than those trained via the CPL route.
MH17 crash: Airlines divert flights from eastern Ukraine European flight safety body Eurocontrol says Ukrainian authorities have closed the airspace in the east of the country to all airline flights.It said all flight plans that use routes in the area are being rejected.It follows the crash of Malaysian airliner flight MH17 with 298 people on board, amid claims it was shot down.Flights already airborne are being routed around the area by air traffic control in the region, a Department for Transport spokesperson said.However, some airlines in the last week including British Airways and Air France had already altered their flight paths to avoid Ukraine.British Airways said its flights did not use Ukrainian airspace, with the exception of a once-a-day service between Heathrow and Kiev. A spokesman for BA said they were keeping those services under review, but that "Kiev is several hundred kilometres from the incident site".Flight MH17 was on a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it came down near the village of Grabovo. 'Immediate measures' The European Cockpit Association (ECA), which represents more than 38,000 European pilots, said the route flown by the crashed Malaysian aircraft was "the most common route for flights from Europe to South East Asia. "Airline Emirates said its flight EK171 from Dubai to Kiev had returned to Dubai "due to the safety concerns raised with the latest reports on Malaysian flight MH17". It added that its flights to Kiev were suspended "with immediate effect, till further notice".
Source: BBC http://www.bbc.com/news/business-28356745
Source: Le Figaro
Norwegian Air faces last hurdle to new flights: U.S. approval (Reuters) - Budget air carrier Norwegian Air hopes to soon get U.S. government approval to operate more lower-cost flights to Europe despite opposition from U.S. and European unions, its chief executive said on Thursday.The carrier is looking to increase flights between the United States and Europe with a new unit based in Ireland. The subsidiary, Norwegian Air International, was certified as an air carrier by the Irish government last month and still requires approval as a foreign air carrier from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The U.S. clearance is the remaining hurdle Norwegian faces to operating the flights, which would be governed by an open-skies agreement between the United States and the European Union.The carrier already operates flights to Europe from U.S. cities such as New York and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The flights Norwegian plans to operate under its new unit include service between New York and London's Gatwick airport. "We don't expect that the United States will treat Norwegian differently," Chief Executive Bjorn Kjos said in a telephone interview with Reuters.An official with the U.S. Department of Transportation said in an emailed response that Norwegian's application was being considered, but gave few further details."We are in the midst of a contested proceeding and we are not in a position to address timing issues at this time," the official said.U.S. unions have criticized Norwegian's plan, saying the carrier is looking to operate these longer-haul flights as an Irish airline in a bid to sidestep Norway's more stringent employment laws. U.S. airlines have also expressed concern about the plan. The Air Line Pilots Association, European Cockpit Association and AFL-CIO unions have urged the United States to deny Norwegian's application.Lee Moak, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents nearly 50,000 pilots in the United States and Canada, told an aviation gathering in Washington this week that Norwegian's Irish unit was created to allow the company to reduce labor standards for workers.
Les pilotes craignent "un nivellement par le bas" de l'aéronautique internationale Le secteur de l'aéronautique risque "un nivellement vers le bas" si les responsables politiques européens ne légifèrent pas rapidement, ont averti des pilotes et leurs associations représentatives vendredi lors d'une conférence de presse à Bruxelles. La compagnie aérienne scandinave Norwegian a récemment ouvert une ligne transatlantique en obtenant une licence dans un pays étranger, où les charges sociales sont moins onéreuses -une pratique courante dans le secteur du transport maritime. Les pilotes craignent que d'autres compagnies recourent au même système.Les associations European Cockpit Association, European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) et le comité de dialogue social de l'aviation civile accusent Norwegian d'avoir mis en place une construction nébuleuse pour "parasiter le système social européen".Selon les associations de pilote, Norwegian travaille avec des pilotes européens qui doivent signer des contrats (temporaires) selon le modèle singapourien alors que leur base officielle se trouve à Bangkok. Pour pouvoir travailler avec un équipage thaïlandais, Norwegian enregistre alors ses avions en Irlande. "Ce n'est pas un modèle de business mais d'exploitation", a dénoncé François Ballestero d'ETF.Les associations mettent en garde contre la perte massive d'emplois en Europe, la dégradation des conditions de travail, le dumping social et la concurrence déloyale si d'autres compagnies aériennes suivent l'exemple de Norwegian pour leurs liaisons intercontinentales.
In the past year ECA actively highlighted a number of concerns about the rather unique ‘business’ and employment model set up by Norwegian Air Shuttle for its subsidiary Norwegian Air International (NAI), for which the Irish authorities granted a permanent AOC and operating license. The company has also applied for a Foreign Air Carrier permit in the US in order to expand its operations overseas. So far the application is pending. ECA followed up this application closely and made several submissions to the US Department of Transportation, pointing out significant inaccuracies in Norwegian’s application and crucial data about its operating scheme. Through detailed comments and statements ECA is facilitating the US DOT to make a well-informed interim decision. In addition, ECA has held a series of high-level meetings with EU and US officials, calling for rejection of the flawed “business†model of Norwegian. Finally, ECA advocated strongly towards EU Member States to oppose to ‘business’ models which undermine decent employment and undercut competition in the market, a model such as Norwegian’s.
In 2014, the term “unfair competition†made its way into our daily vocabulary. As we are witnessing a growing number of airlines seeking unfair competitive advantages, we dedicated significant resources to raise awareness about this problem. This is why we made key steps to level the playing field! First, we set up a new Task Force with the aim to identify the different market distorting practices and possible solutions. The Task Force worked intensively to address the issue and based on their input, an ECA position paper on Fair Competition will soon be serving as a reference point and a source of information for decision makers and aviation stakeholders. Second, throughout the year we worked on improving awareness about the harmful effects of unfair competition on aircrew employment. A number of letters were addressed to the European Commission and EU Parliament. Last but not least, we actively worked with the ALPA International to halt one of the most permissive business “models†– the Norwegian Air International – exploiting the loopholes of legislation and undermining labour standards across the world. Read more about unfair competition
a "level playing field" in aviation?
Fair competition?
The norwegian Case
ECA strongly advocated for an improved directive on the posting of workers, one which increases monitoring powers of the country of destination, fights against letterbox companies and bogus self-employment and clarifies what constitutes abuses of posting. The results of our continuous efforts came in 2014 when – after two years of negotiations – Parliament and EU Council agreed on a directive, which strikes a good balance between freedom to provide services and protection of workers’ rights. In particular, the directive provides legal clarity and a number of improvements such as: The preamble of the directive recognises the competence of the country of destination in determining, according to its own right whether a worker is an employee or self-employed. This was one of the main demands of ECA and is a positive development even if it is not in the binding part of the Directive. The improved monitoring and coordination of the national authorities was also a key demand of ECA that has been taken on board. There are also criteria to differentiate real/fake posting through specific criteria to determine the origin state of both posted workers and posting undertakings, although not as precise as ECA had wished. ECA pleaded for a bigger role of trade unions and professional organisations in the defence of posted workers’ rights and in the fight against abuses. This request was only partially addressed by allowing trade union and social partners to lodge complaints but only on behalf of a posted worker.
Flags of convenience
A hearing in the European Parliament – co-organised and facilitated by ECA’s Member Association Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) – helped move the debate on social dumping in the aviation industry on EU level. On 11 February, MEPs discussed together with aviation stakeholders the various employment models in aviation, including bogus self-employment. VC and ECA were at the forefront unravelling the difficulties flight crews face to secure decent employment with clear employment terms and conditions. Read more: Social dumping: a catchword of the day
In 2014 ECA put the spotlight on the issue of “Flags of convenience†in the aviation industry. ECA was the driver behind a joint declaration from the Aircrew Committee of the EU Social Dialogue Committee for Civil Aviation against Flags of Convenience. The declaration warned against the phenomenon that once decimated European maritime industry and is currently on the rise in aviation. At a press conference in Brussels in July 2014, social partners emphasized the threat of airlines using “flags of convenience†to undercut fair competition in the sector, avoid regulations and scour the globe to exploit labor without European social rights and standards.
Social Dumping
Posted workers
Background: The Occurrence Reporting regulation aims at shifting the focus from a ‘reactive’ system to a pro-active, risk- and evidence-based system. It acknowledges that safety occurrence data is vital to allow for the timely identification and management of potential safety hazards – and this before these hazards turn into an actual accident. Read more on our website
ECA played a key role in shaping the new Occurrence Reporting Regulation, adopted in March 2014. Ever since the initial consultations and drafting of this legislative proposal, ECA has been a vocal actor providing input and operational expertise to develop this regulation through bilateral meetings with Members of the EU Parliament, position papers, press releases and intense contacts with the European Commission. Ensuring protection of the data as well as the source of information had been the core objective of ECA throughout this intensive advocacy campaign. The fear of prosecution and reprisals at company level after reporting an occurrence is still very much present nowadays among front end users. ECA advocated that this could discourage aviation staff to report occurrences, resulting in a lack of sufficient data. Highlights of the new regulation include: Clear independence and separation of the departments handling the safety data; Broader protection – reporter and all people mentioned in the occurrence reports, incl. contractors; An ‘appeal body’ at national level which operational staff could address to in case of infringement of Just Culture-related rights; Internal rules to implement Just Culture principles to be developed and issued at company organisation level; Mandatory reporting of aircrew fatigue.
Paul Reuter on Just Culture in real world
a new approach to accident prevention and just culture
Occurrence reporting
ECA influences the rule drafting process of the cruise relief pilots’ concept
ECA operational expertise instrumental throughout 2014
EASA Basic Regulation Revision
ECA experts continued to take part in the EASA rulemaking group on Crew Resource Management (CRM) to ensure that the pilot perspective is reflected.. The proposed changes to the current CRM training rules foresaw no participation of flight crews in the methodology elaboration, made CRM checking test relevant during a line check and introduced subjective elements. Through a co-ordinated and strong action ECA voiced the concerns of the pilot community with letters to EASA and national (aviation) authorities. Together with its Member Associations, ECA submitted comments through the official commenting tool of EASA. To raise awareness about its position ECA also prepared a position paper as advocacy tool for its Member Associations. ECA will continue to advocate high standards & stringent rules!
Throughout 2014 ECA kept pressing for tighter rules on Cruise Relief concept. With a letter to the EASA Director and active participation in the work of the EASA rulemaking task, ECA emphasized the importance of “better and more†initial and recurrent training. As a result, ECA experts played a key role advocating for tightening up of the CRCP (cruise relief co-pilot) rules, which will be prepared by EASA in 2015 .
7 years ago ICAO introduced the Multi-Crew Pilot License as an alternative ab-initio airline pilot training program with a multi-crew focus. In the context of the 7th anniversary of the MPL introduction, ECA carried out a thorough assessment of the concept and its practical implementation. In a widely-read Position Paper, ECA produced an extenÂsive look at the MPL status today: many deficiencies of the concept, potential safety implications and risky implementation by the industry. The ECA Position has been echoed by leading aviation journals and news outlets. ECA will continue to warn about these aspects of the Multi-Crew Pilot License and advocate for remedying the deficiencies. Our efforts will continue to be focused on a careful and gradual implementation. Read more in our Position paper https://www.eurocockpit.be/stories/20131219/eca-position-paper-on-multi-crew-pilot-license
New, revised rules on Crew Resource Management in the pipeline
Licences & operations
In 2014 ECA prevented that foreign pilots can fly EU aircraft without having to comply with EU licensing rules, which would have been an unintended consequence of a Revision of EASA’s Basic Regulation. A thorough ECA analysis of the proposed text identified a risk that the future EASA Basic Regulation would allow foreign pilots to fly an EU Member State registered aircraft – and this without having to comply with the EU license requirements of the Regulation on Flight Crew Licencing (Part-FCL), which their European colleagues have to comply with. ECA alerted the EU Commission, EASA, Member States and in particular the European Parliament urging them to oppose this change. As a key stakeholder, ECA remained in close contact with key MEPs. ECA also advocated that EASA’s safety role remains a central part of its mission, supported an extension from 1 to 3 months of the period for EASA to assess & approve future deviation request from FTL rules. As a result, in March 2014 the EP Transport Committee adopted a report that includes almost all of ECA’s recommendations.
ECA conducts thorough assessment of the new Multi-Crew Pilot License
SECURING THE SKIES
Throughout 2014 ECA also continued its efforts advocating for a common crew ID card and risk based security measures in Europe. To pull together ECA’s policy proposals, its Security experts prepared a thorough position paper on Security, to be published in late 2014. It provides analysis and policy prescriptions for implementing risk based security in aviation. The paper provides an extensive look at the current challenges related to e.g. airport security, pilot and passenger differentiation, cockpit security, hijack and bomb threats response, unruly passengers, etc.
An official “Norwegian Pilot Group†(NPG) protocol will be soon signed by all relevant parties, including several ECA Member Associations. The group will start awareness-raising activities among the Norwegian Air Shuttle pilots and begin to act as interlocutor with the company management. ECA will continue its efforts to engage with pilots, providing advice and tools for achieving their objectives.
Unity across borders
Traditionally, ECA is closely involved in facilitating trans-national representation of pilots and helping pilots in their collective bargaining efforts. This role has developed through the years, on a par with ECA’s growing expertise. In 2014, ECA continued its engagement in the easyJet Pilot Group and took a leading role in helping Norwegian pilots from different countries to organise themselves. ECA is actively supporting and acting as a facilitator to this alliance uniting Norwegian pilots.
At the same time, ECA and WestAir pilots have engaged in a number of informal meetings, seeking ways to improve the cross-border representation of this pilot group. WestAir, a transnational cargo airline, originally based in Sweden, employs hundreds of pilots in Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, France and Denmark. ECA and its Member Associations have initiated a cooperation project aimed at enhancing the mutual understanding, facilitating the exchange of information and evaluating the working conditions for pilots in those different national branches of WestAir.
Transnational pilot groups
The Ryanair Pilot Group (RPG), already a well-established entity in the pilot community, has continued to develop itself with support of ECA Member Associations. In 2014 the RPG granted a mandate for a combined group of Interim Council members and new Ryanair pilot members, to serve as a new RPG Council for 2014/15.
FLIGHT TIME LIMITATIONS
Fighting fatigue remains a priority
One year since the adoption of the Flight Time Limitation (FTL) rules, the issue of fatigue and its prevention has not lost momentum. In the past year ECA shifted its focus towards ensuring a uniform, safety-oriented interpretation and implementation of the new rules. The proposed use of Fatigue Risk Management Schemes by operators and the involvement of crews remains a key objective for the pilot community. This is why ECA has taken great care to assess the new EASA rules for ambiguities and possibly diverging interpretations. Before the publication of the new Reg. 83/2014 ( end of Jan. 2014) a thorough analysis of the new rules and a careful examination for translation errors has been carried out by ECA experts. The result of this analysis has served as input to EASA’s upcoming web-based Q&A on how to interpret the FTL rules. At the same time, ECA continuously worked towards spelling out the conditions for a successful introduction sound Fatigue Risk Management (FRM), which includes pilot representatives and which is based on a Just Culture reporting environment. Particular attention has been given to prevent that FRM becomes an unsafe “paper exerciseâ€, badly overseen by national authorities. In the face of ever tightening financial reasons, FRM risks to become simply a tool for airlines to obtain more flexibility. And with less than a year before the FTL rules are implemented across Europe, ECA has invested significant resources at facilitating this introduction among the pilot community. An online FTL calculator – accessible also offline on mobile devices – will help pilots calculate their duty periods under the new FTL rules. The calculator will be available in early 2015.
new study
One of the ongoing flagship projects of ECA, throughout 2014 has been the study on “Atypical forms of aircrew employmentâ€. Today, a growing number of pilots are employed on precarious temporary contracts, working on zero-hour contracts or have even set up a limited company to provide “services†– as self-employed – to an airline. To obtain reliable data and insight about these atypical working relations and the way they affect aviation today, ECA and the Sectoral Social Dialogue partners have initiated an EU-wide study on aircrew employment. Funded by the European Commission (DG Employment), the study will examine the situation as experienced by aviation employees under these conditions and the effect of any atypical working relations. An independent team of researchers from the University of Ghent has been commissioned to carry out the study. ECA has been instrumental in conceptualising and promoting the study. As a first step researchers have run an online questionnaire for pilots across Europe. The questionnaire has been actively promoted among European pilots and more than 6.000 responses have been submitted. In February 2015 researchers and aviation stakeholders will get together at a conference to discuss the study findings, analyse the outcome and identify next steps.
Atypical forms of employment
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In the face of a proposed 10-fold increase of Cockpit Voice Recording time in Europe, ECA has taken swift action to advocate for protection of critical safety information, limited access to CVR recording and protection of the right to privacy. An EASA proposal for the extension of CVR recording time to 15-20hrs published late 2013 was rushed through the stakeholder consultation process in the wake of the Malaysian MH370 disappearance (March 2014). ECA had to quickly draw attention to a number of concerning provisions. In a Position Paper published in July 2014, ECA calls for stricter, legally binding measures for CVR data protection. The inappropriate use and distribution of sensitive CVR data beyond accident investigation agencies not only infringe crews’ fundamental right to privacy but also affects negatively Just Culture and the safety improvement efforts in Europe. As a result, some of ECA arguments have been embraced by DG MOVE and incorporated into the forthcoming legislative proposal. ECA will continue to ensure that the related “soft law†and guidance are shaped in a way to further enhance protection of data and recordings.
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Extension of CVR REcording TIme
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Fact: 43% of accidents occurred during operations in adverse weather (source: IATA) The meteorological information available to pilots before and during their flight has not dramatically changed over the last few decades and is often poor compared to the technological developments and requirements of the information society. This is why ECA experts put together a number of recommendations for improving the relay of weather data to pilots: The Pilots’ Vision on Weather. The Pilots’ Vision on Weather, published in February 2014, includes recommendations for ensuring ATC/ATM work with relevant MET across borders, in a coordinated way; pilots have instant access to relevant up to date information; and halving the time between Terminal Aerodrome Forecast from 6 to 3 hours. In addition, ECA calls for the creation of an easily accessible, user-friendly MET portal for pilots. ECA’s Vision was well-received by stakeholders and became the main “ingredient†of IFALPA Working Paper to ICAO MET Division Meeting held on 7-18 July. The recommendations developed by the Meteorology Divisional Meeting set global objectives and implementation timelines, and directed the course of work for enhancing the provision of meteorological service to international air navigation for the next decade. The Pilots’ Vision on Weather was presented at a number of external events, including at the Meteorological Technology World Expo (13-15 Oct) and the Extreme Weather Congress in Germany.
pilots' vision on weather
Aviation security
FLIGHT SAFETY
better employment
Throughout 2014, ECA Board Directors, staff and experts have represented the pilot community at a number of high-level of conferences, expos, seminars, meetings and forums. Our input has been instrumental to move thinking in the aviation industry and to voice the position of European pilots on topics ranging from aviation security to employment conditions.
PROSECUTOR - EXPERT COURSE 13 ECA experts from 11 Member Associations have taken part in the Prosecutor Expert Course, organised under the supervision of EUROCONTROL. More than 20 experts will attend this course by the end of 2015, expanding the pool of European experts to work with national authorities in case of a judicial investigation into an aviation incident or accident. The main objective of the course is to bridge the gap between judiciary and aviation by bringing together aviation experts and representatives of the judiciary (prosecutors and/or judges). Often confronted with conflicting needs, those two parties are not fully aware of the needs of the opposite side. This is why this course educates, provides judicial delegates with information about the aviation safety needs, while at the same time equips safety experts with the knowledge and skills necessary to assist prosecutors and judges. AIRBORNE CONFLICT SAFETY FORUM ECA’s presentation on Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) was very well-received The Airborne Conflict Safety Forum was held at EUROCONTROL in Brussels to achieve consensus on the way forward to reduce the risk of mid-air collision. Pilots had 3 key messages: training of pilots needs to be more realistic, more training is required (every year at least!) and precise compliance needs to be emphasised. IATA AVSEC WORLD Key event in aviation industry, with ECA’s President Nico Voorbach on Emerging Threats Panel Focus of this year’s Conference is on aviation security system challenged by the urgent need to share critical information about conflict zones. In light of recent tragic events, ECA has advocated for improving mechanisms for sharing information and improving risk assessment.
WORKSHOPS- conferences- courses
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