Fleet

EAT/DHL has progressively expanded its A300-600 fleet now to 22 ships, serving DHL European and Middle east networks. At the same time its 33 B757s need replacement (11 of them operated by EAT/DHL, 22 ships under G- AOC operated by DHL Air UK).

As DHL air arm provider, the activity of EAT is closely linked to the expansion of the express freight business, which is still booming due to development contracts between DHL and e-commerce companies.

The substitution of the B757s is causing some difficulties as the second hand market, under pressure from China and from DHL’s competitors (Fedex), is quite limited. However, the plan is still to replace the 11 EAT B757s by more modern, PW powered and full EFIS Boeing 757.

Flight Data Monitoring Protocol

On the safety part, BeCA is continuously developing cooperation with Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), the German pilot association. A concrete example being the preparation of a new FDM protocol, which has to incorporate specificities for both the Brussels and Leipzig bases. Although FDM is commonly defined in EU EASA texts, it requires coordination with respect to the two National labour legislations to cover legal implementation and avoiding interferences with disciplinary sanctions legislations.

The initial FDM protocol prepared by BeCA for EAT Brussels in 2005 had progressively been turned by the EAT safety department into a unilateral document instead of a mutually agreed text. This combined with some concerns regarding a totally blame free culture is making the FDM protocol an important target.

Industrial

Coordination between the two EAT works councils (Leipzig and Brussels) is slowly progressing. If “Belgian” block rosters contract, BRU and LEJ bases, are quite similar, the new contracts based on a flex roster system continues to create distortions on issues like fair sharing of flight duty hours (the last contract being remunerated partially by the hours, while the two others aren’t). The first CLA covering Leipzig based pilots should help to harmonize pilot groups terms and conditons.

Vinciane Cabaret – BeCA / VC Representative
Alain Vanalderweireldt – Vice-President EAT/DHL