Capt. Wingwave in the news !!!
 

Published on Wednesday, 29 April, 2015 at 10:42

(CS) The Italian subsidiary of freight airline Cargolux repeatedly violated flight safety rules, a letter from the Luxembourg Directorate for Civil Aviation (DAC) shows.

Cargolux Italia in 2011 in at least seven cases violated rules on flight and duty time limitations. On a number of routes the airline did not have enough qualified pilots on staff, leading to a shortage on flights. Regulation foresees that at least two qualified pilots are in the cockpit for all flights, which is increased to three on flights with a duration of more than 13 hours.

An external audit was launched in Italy; however, Luxembourg authorities were not made aware of the issue until December last year. The DAC contacted Italian civil aviation authority ENAC, which confirmed the allegations.

The DAC's then director Christiane Weidenhaupt in turn sent a letter to Cargolux, a copy of which was made accessible to the “Luxemburger Wort”.

The vice-president flight operations apparently involved in the violations left Cargolux Italia four years ago. “[The pilot] informed us of his resignation. For this reason we did not launch an official procedure against him,” a letter from ENAC to the DAC states.

However, the pilot returned to parent company Cargolux and after two years was promoted to the flight safety division. He is currently in discussion for a position on the airline's executive committee.

Wing-wave and safety concerns

Just half a year ago, the VP flight operations made headlines for a so-called wing-wave manoeuvre during the take-off of a new Cargolux Boeing from Seattle. He was in the cockpit at the time as the responsible flight safety officer.

The wing-wave was not the only incident raising concern over flight safety. In 2013, Cargolux carried out the transport of the Solar-Impulse plane from Switzerland to the US. However, several other airlines had refused the job over the short runway at Payerne airport. It was suggested that Basel or Zurich would be more suitable.

Cargolux nonetheless carried out the flight. Videos and photos on the internet documenting the landing in Payerne raise safety concerns. Once again, the same VP flight operations was on board.

Cargolux CEO Dirk Reich commented to the “Luxemburger Wort” that flight safety is a top priority for the airline. He was not aware of the DAC's letter until Tuesday, he claimed. “I never got that letter,” Reich said.

General assembly

Cargolux management on Wednesday will gather for a general assembly, with the airline set to present its 2014 figures.

The freight carrier has recently experienced some turbulence, with negotiations for a new collective work agreement with unions far from reaching a conclusion. Unions have criticised a decision to transfer planes to Cargolux Italia, which they regard as a first step in outsourcing of activities.

Additionally, the recent dismissal of four pilots for allegedly violating the conditions of sick leave saw the airline suspected of using private detectives to spy on its employees.

Reporting by Laurence Bervard

7 jets parked up outside the large maint hangar tonight, unusual?

I applied about two weeks ago to Cargolux.

Received this email today.


Dear Mr. ..........,

your status has been changed to "Limited Release". This means that from your supplied data, it appears that you meet the 'reduced' requirements to continue the Cargolux selection process.

There are two main requirements that you need to fulfill - they are:

You need to be qualified for a Zero Flight Time Training on B747, and
When trained by us, you need to meet the requirements to take your ATPL skilltest, right after your type rating is completed.
The details to meet the above requirements can be found in the download area under:

"ZFTT requirements" and
"ATPL requirements"

Please download the files and follow the instructions therein. After you have filled in the forms, please upload them into you profile on Career.Aero and let us know by email or by telephone, so that we can continue to process your application.

Sincerely yours,


Cargolux Recruitment


Positive? Or just routine do you think?

I'm closest to "flight experience option C".
https://www.career.aero/cargolux/en/job/show/id/1012

Hi PG

10 months ago i got the same answer as you did. I fulfilled all the required paperwork and then i got a reply that Cargolux would contact me. Never heard anything. I have no clue what is going on. But i guess airline guys get priority.

Grtz

Thanks dboy, I won't hold my breath then!!

I have exactly same experience as dboy.

I heard they have called people on the waiting list for CLX to go and fly in Italia on a temporary contract. Not good news if it' true...

Do you have any idea what will be the starting salary with the new working agreement? Also how big is the reduction in days OFF and vacation days?

I would also be very interested to hear of any further details following these changes to new hire t&c's/pay scales.
I have an interview scheduled and it would be good to have as much information beforehand so any further insights would be much appreciated.

Many thanks

This new CWA is not yet a fact or signed by all relevant parties, though if the rumors about this new CWA are true Cargolux is a place to stay far away from for experienced pilots or generally anybody who takes this profession serious.
In a very short version, Cargolux has two unions and the union that represents most of the office employees will probably sign a CWA that is highly damaging for the flight crews, just to make sure they will not have to give in. The 'flight crew union' is fighting hard since this is clearly illegal, but its not sure they will succeed. Welcome to Luxembourg.

This will mean for new pilots only;
- Up to (not known exactly, but likely) 26 more duty days per year.
- Huge decrease in salary and thus pension etc. See previous post.
- Unlikely to ever get command if Cargolux-Italia is allowed to grow (no promises there either) and the new Cargolux-China venture is hiring its own Chinese pilots instead of using Lux-based pilots.
- Takes 5 years before you finally get a 13th month salary.

This will mean for ALL pilots, even currently employed;
- Even longer upgrade (if ever), depending on Cargolux-Italy future. But does not look bright at all.
- 'Enhanced fidelity premium package'; you will have to give in off-days when you call in sick, per calendar year.
- And worst of all; to 'ensure equal treatment' between office-tigers and flightcrew (what a comparison...) we will highly likely move from good, downtown hotels to cheap airport hotels and fly economy class during the sometimes 20-30hrs of commercial positioning around the world per roster, instead of business class.

Again, its not sure if we will really get this CWA new but management clearly does not make a secret out of it what they have in mind.

Think twice.

All right guys, thanks for the information!

What I don't understand is, why the pilot union doesn't act against all these new conditions. In companies like Air France, Lufthansa etc there would be a major strike and fight against all this?!

How does this job offer to Air Berlin pilots interfere with the pilots which already passed the clx assessment and which are waiting for contract since months?

Hi Morane,

you must understand that Luxembourg is a very small country. The membership basis of a union is consequently very small, therefore the professional manpower available to a union is limited. That fact does not contribute to an equal playing field between employer and employees.

Luxembourg also has a very conservative strike law. Strike is only possible after an official, state-governed conciliation process has been officially declared unsuccessful. This has not happened in Luxembourgish history to date.

Then again, if employers have to abide with the law on their part, is another question. Strange enough i.e., when the Direction Aviation Civile went after Cargolux for violating FTL rules in Italy, the head of the DAC Christiane Weidenhaupt was fired by the government.
The company has an "Ethics Code", printed on shiny paper in a very nice design & layout. It includes a "disciplinary policy". According to that policy, you have to receive two warning letters first, before a regular dismissal can take place.
The four guys fired in March (or was it April?) did not get warning letters, as far as I know.

We will certainly fight for our conditions, but nobody knows at this point what the end result will be.

Cheers, Rudolph

Hello Rudolph,
Thank you very much for your detailed explanation.
I didn't know the situation in Lux, now I understand.

Let's hope the best for all of us...

Cheers

Information CV DLR
 

Hi,

Anyone got some useful information regarding the new DLR assessment format for Cargolux? Got one coming up at the end of the month.

I called interpersonal, they basically told me it was the first round for CV. If you pass then the applicant can expect a Sim and interview in Luxembourg.

Hopefully they sort out all their little 'issues'. Heard that the last few who passed everything were only offered ICV contracts (even having only applied for CV).

Seems like the pilots are doing their best to keep the same T&C but the battle is still ongoing. Anyone else out there got some useful intel on this matter?

Fly safe.

Hello do you have DLR on the 17th? If yes we probably meet there! Ps most useful info on dlr i found were from pprune, but if you speak german apparently you can find loads of info on germans websites

Hi all,

for info, it looks like the new joiners are presently offered a one year contract at ICV before being able to join CV. By then, the management assumes that the negociations for the new CWA will be over and that the only option for the pilots willing to join CV, after their one year contract, will be to accept the new conditions in the CWA.

Cheers

Thanks for sharing this information. May new applicants assume to be offered the CV contract after 1 year? As in, this is written black on white?

Also, anyone know how the type rating is financed at ICV/CV?

Well, after reading these posts for the past few weeks, I think it's time for me to aspire to a different dream job. :(

How did Cargolux, go from one of the best out there for pilot T&C's to one of the worst?! :confused:

It's called greed. Squeeze the lemon for juice, squeeze harder until no juice left.

Unchecked capitalism doesn't work. One day, someone gets greedy. Tries to do something cheaper by squeezing their costs. Then they're all at it. The big lie of the century is those at the top of the management capitalist structure blaming their soldiers- those who provide profit for those at the top - for not reaping enough financial harvest. Those at the top still want as big as a slice of the pie and are unwilling to share dwindling returns due to bad card playing. They fail to look their operation in the mirror and realise where it really is wrong. Them.

Have you ever met a poor airline director? A poor board member? Thought not. Airlines talk about risk and costs like parts on a car. People working for them in the capitalist world are just an ant farm to be abused when playing their game. Greedy sods they are forget its people they're playing with.

Their time will come and they'll answer for it. When the games over the pawns and the kings go back in the same box