This agreement is applicable until end of December 2022 and will result in substantial improvements for the pilots employed by Europe’s leading all-cargo airline.

Improved working conditions and salary adjustments

Part of the agreement signed is a salary increase of 4% for the airline’s more than 500 pilots over the 4-year duration of the contract. Additionally, the new agreement includes significant improvements to the flight time limitations. These improvements include amongst others, a reduction of the maximum allowable Flight Duty Periods during the most critical times of the day for standard crews, proactively considering the results from the recent EASA review on long night duties.

Other improvements include an adjustment of the pilots’ off- day scheme providing 12 off days per month. Additionally, the new off- day scheme should enhance off- day stability by limiting the number of off-days which could be changed without the consent of the pilot.

Improved conditions for new pilots
Pilots hired since January 2016 and all pilots who will be hired in the future will benefit notably from additional improvements of salaries, off- day and vacation entitlements. This now corrects the measures that were introduced in 2015, putting all Cargolux pilots at one level, providing the same number of vacation and off days for all pilots; increased starting salaries and the recognition of previous flight experience for pilots to be hired in the future.

“This result is the achievement of our members, who showed an outstanding unity and support during the lengthy negotiations. We are confident that the new agreements will address many of the issues reported by them in the recent past. Eliminating what has been referred to as ‘B-Scale’ by our members is certainly a major improvement for those pilots who have been hired since January 2016 and for any pilot to be hired by Cargolux in the future,” says Captain Michael Kaiser, President of ALPL’s Cargolux Divisional Board.

Further to these significant adjustments additional improvements have been agreed, which amongst many other elements include a clear commitment from management to prevent outsourcing of pilot jobs and providing career opportunities for the airline’s pilots.

“We believe that the new collective work agreement will allow the airline to recruit and retain urgently needed staff for the future, making Cargolux again what it used to be for most of its nearly 50 years history; an employer of choice for pilots,” concludes Dirk Becker, ALPL’s Executive Secretary.