German pilot union Vereinigung Cockpit sees Lufthansa’s in-house flight academy in Bremen under threat as the ministry of defence in Berlin evaluates a termination of its training contract with the school.
The union says that the ministry is preparing a transfer of its transport pilot training requirements to Rostock airport.
Rostock is the location of another training facility of Lufthansa Group-owned European Flight Academy – an operation covering multiple sites, including the Bremen campus, used to train pilots across the airline group, according to EFA’s website.
Vereinigung Cockpit says that the Bremen campus operates under a collective labour agreement while the Rostock does not.
The Bremen campus has trained pilots for Lufthansa’s mainline since the 1950s, the union says, noting that the co-operation with the Bundeswehr has existed for more than 50 years.
If income from military training were to be lost, Bremen’s unit costs would increase and “large” parts of the school activities would be in jeopardy, the union asserts.
It adds that the situation represents an “existential threat” for the campus.
The Bremen campus employs 150 staff, the union says.
