BeCA hires new Admin Assistant!

Dear members,

I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself as the new BeCA Administrative Assistant. My name is Arlette Damiaens and I started working at BeCA at the beginning of October. Two days a week, I will assist Isabelle with the administrative and organisational tasks.

After a bachelor degree in secretarial studies & modern languages. I started working as a flight attendant. Unfortunately, after 12 years, due to the bankruptcy of Sabena, I changed careers.

Eager to learn and being a mum of two young children at that moment, I combined motherhood and a bachelor degree in accountancy. Afterwards, for more than 8 years  I worked in accountancy in several small organisations,  What matters for me is an organization with a good company culture that promotes and enhances the talents of its collaborators to achieve a common goal, hence my willingness to work for BeCA!

I have been working for BeCA for two months now and I am convinced that we’ll make a strong  office team, aiming to increase BeCA support to you and your pilot representatives

Looking forward to hearing from you soon by email (beca@beca.be) or by phone: +32 245.34.50!

Hotline Activation

On a Saturday night, Belgian time, one of our members called our accident/incident hotline. The incident involved a rejected take-off following a bird strike at high speed, which was well managed by the crew. Within 40 minutes, a BeCA hotliner called him back and provided him with concrete advice in order to help him manage the situation in the most efficient way. Our experts also immediately contacted IFALPA and our member was quickly assisted by a fellow colleague from the pilot association of the country concerned, who facilitated the exchanges between the crew and the local authorities. Thanks to this quick and professional reaction, and constant communication with the BeCA representative, our member received technical and psychological support. Don’t forget, as a BeCA member, you are never alone in these stressful situations. Call BeCA hotline: +32 2 248 03 68.

Ethiopian Airlines illegal operations?

In 2016, despite a strong opposition from TNT airways, Ethiopian Airlines Cargo (ETH) was granted to operate up to 28 frequencies per week in 5th freedom by the Belgian government. We learnt only recently that last year, this number was increased to 35 frequencies per week with a possible new revision before the end of this year.

BeCA has been strongly lobbying against it since the very beginning. As denounced at that time, the promise of creating 400 jobs has never been delivered. On the contrary, it compromises now the development of the long haul operation of ASLB which has to compete on its own market with a heavily state subsidised operator.

According to our own analysis of ETH’s operations in Belgium, we are convinced that ETH does not respect the limitations of the current memorandum. This point is currently under investigation at the Belgian CAA.
Ethiopian Airlines asked also recently the right to operate in 5th freedom between BRU and DUB for its pax operation. Luckily, this time the common sense prevailed and the request has been rejected.
Nevertheless, the Member States tend to grant too easily new rights to 3rd country operators. This is therefore becoming a European issue, which we have raised at ECA level. We will continue our struggle in order to protect our jobs and cargo industry.