Pilots need perspectives

2017 marks the finalisation of the TNT Airways to ASL Airlines Belgium transition. Only few orange stickers here and there recall the fact ASL Airlines used to be the exclusive Airline service provider for one of the four worldwide cargo integrators.

747 Fleet

Following the Boeing 777 phase out setback (caused by the acquisition of TNT Express by Fedex leading to the selling out of TNT Airways to ASL Group), ASL Airlines Belgium focused on the development of its own Long Haul business. After a hard unprofitable start, the situation evolved in a positive manner. It has been recognized that the hard work of 747 pilots to cope with understaffing, AOGs and additional flights have greatly participated to the positive outcome. After 10 years of close cooperation with Emirates as 747 CMI provider, the last 747 dedicated to that contrat went back to the lessor end of 2017 which gives now a bit more crew margin to fly the 4 remaining aircrafts. Two 747 are dedicated to ASL’s own long haul business to JFK and Far East. Two 747 owned by Fedex flying the 777 legacy routes from Liège to Hong Kong via Dubai.

757 Fleet

End of 2017, ASL Airlines Belgium’s 757 fleet was composed of 3 aircraft. 1 aircraft is a mix of passenger and cargo (combi) on the main deck which is mainly flying daytime for NATO. This daytime operation is very valuable for pilots as it gives a bit more variety to their working pattern. This combi aircraft is neither a good passenger aircraft nor a good cargo aircraft which means it aims only at a niche customer profile requiring a mix of passenger and cargo flights. Despite a great demonstration of ASLB capacity to quickly organise and succeed a tricky mission to Antarctica Scientific Base Troll, it is hard to justify the lease of such an aircraft for a flight happening only once in a while and unfortunately the seek out of this type of customer profile has not been very fruitful up to now.
Following this Antarctica demonstration, customers were very happy and asked for more. Such a prospect led to a point where it was starting to make such an operation a viable and prosperous project. Unfortunately the understaffing dismissed this extraordinary prospect. At the time I am writing these lines it is still unknown whether this aircraft is gonna go back to the lessor or be modified as a full freighter.

From very early on, ASL Group stated it was committed to continue the 757 operation despite the fact the contract with our main customer Fedex contains a scope clause restricting subcontractors like ASLB to 737-800. However due to legal restriction, Fedex was not able to take over the internal France route requiring a 757. Therefore ASLB continues to fly daily the legacy TNT Express freight (now Fedex) from Marseille to Paris back and forth for an undetermined period.

In October ASLB started an operation from Leipzig with DHL. Crew members are enthusiastic with this operation and the way it has been setup. However it is a big change for pilots as this kind of operation is similar to long haul which means being away from home longer periods and more understaffing issues. Thanks to the dedication and the goodwill of the crew members this contract has been extended for an undetermined period. However 757 pilots warned recently ASLB CEO that, due to the current understaffing, they already accepted to fly while being at the boundary to declare unfit, and this for customer satisfaction because of the proximity of the contract renewal decision. They said they can cope with temporary understaffing but this situation should not become structural as it is slowly draining the goodwill reservoir. There is a looming decrease in performance if reinforcement is not quickly foreseen. Indeed the 757 team is small which means that when you need to solve a crewing puzzle you will definitely use the same pieces more often which makes them wearing out more rapidly. Not to mention that long haul kind of operation without the long haul kind of pay-scale is not a good incentive to retain 757 pilots from leaving for neighborhood countries where the time away from home is more rewarded.

737 Fleet

ASLB operated 19 B737s end of 2017. The phase-out of the last two B737-300 has been slightly extended in 2018. They will be replaced by two B737-400. It is expected to see the fleet growing up to 23 B737-400 before mid-2018. No doubt that the training team and the crews in general will stay under pressure to cope with the actual understaffing on the fleet.

Pilots Shortage

Aviation is a recurrent cycle. 2018 is definitely pointing towards the upper side of the curve. Attrition rate is going sky high, triggering promotions, but it is challenging as well as letting the bleed out of pilots running away for too long may lead to significant structural understaffing and recurrent operational problems. Management should be very concerned when they see senior first officers potentially upgradable on short term, flee the company. Even well established captains resign to fly as First Officers in other skies. Should we leave this tendency pursue ASLB would devoid of substance becoming in the end an empty shell.

To retain our pilots and attract others, our management needs to analyze why pilots are leaving and build a strong action plan with significant incentives in our working conditions spotted as weaker than popular airlines.

The peak of this cycle in terms of timeframe is unknown and yet the understaffing is a real issue. Letting this trend drift towards the peak of its parabolic trajectory is a risk ASL Airlines management will very soon need to assess and mitigate if applicable.

Moreover Night Cargo Network is not the sexiest option of the aviation industry. It used to be balanced by a better than standard pension scheme and a better social life close from home with sufficient rest and time for extracurricular activities and leisure.

Unfortunately the government and the current understaffing took these social compensation out of the equation which disrupt the equilibrium of the system which made pilots stay with us.

ASL Airlines Belgium is keen to investigate little inexpensive suggestions made by our unions to make pilots happy, but let’s not be naïve, it won’t be sufficient to balance back significantly enough the equation.

Time will come when negotiations about big money will be necessary. We hope ASL management will realize where the pilot industry stands and that time is running out to recover. The standard Management/Union drama going crescendo to a peak like what is happening in other Airlines is not necessary nor constructive. We did it last year but we were not given the choice.

Let’s innovate. Doing the whole social dialogue comedy-show is not efficient especially when we have a common goal of building a strong, proficient and loyal pilot base.

Company Culture: Managing Complex Changes

Pilots were finally heard and understood. Our management seems committed to change our Company Culture as an attempt to restore trust.

Changing culture is complex and so will be the structural understaffing. It requires vision, skills, incentives, resources and an action plan. If you miss one of these, change won’t happen efficiently. Seen the current economic boom of the industry, standing still was not an option anymore.

As a consequence ASL Airlines Belgium decided to renew the Flight Ops management team. Vincent Carpentier has been confirmed as Chief Pilot 737 as well as Christophe Dupont on 747. Jan Van Nieuwenborgh is confirmed as Chief Pilot 757 and we will welcome in February former Thomas Cook Managing director Jean-Christophe Degen as Director of operation. Jean-Christophe is known by ASLB Pilots as he was chief pilot 737 when he left TNT Airways back in 2007. Part of their action plan was briefly unveiled as new managers take their position. Amongst others showing empathy is part of the plan. We just hope they will be given enough resources to implement their positive vision of our company’s future.

Conclusion

Nevertheless, despite many hiccups very early in 2018 at several management levels we can witness a real dedication from our CEO to work towards a constructive way to deal with the social dialogue which creates positive expectations amongst ASLB new employees as well as the former TNT Airways workforce.

Only the future will tell us if ASL Group manages proactively enough to exit the ASLB understaffing sharp turn or if they will just hit the wall.