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This edition of State of the Union focuses on the dispute between the aviation industry and pilots over the number of pilots on an airplane.
When Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán travelled to Russia and China on a self-described “peace mission” recently, he should have known that he would risk a backlash among his colleagues in the European Council.And so it happened. At the Foreign Affairs Council, the EU’s top diplomat delivered a blistering rebuke against Orbán and accused the newly minted rotating Council president of disloyalty.Borrell confirmed the next informal foreign ministers meeting will be held in Brussels, effectively kicking a previously planned meeting in Budapest off the agenda.“We have to send a signal, even if it is a symbolic signal that being against the prime policy of the European Union and disqualifying the policy of the European Union as the party of war has to have some consequences, well formal consequences,” Borrell said.Whether the Hungarian government will use to summer weeks to contemplate about a different approach remains to be seen.One person dies of AIDs every minuteElsewhere, researchers, medics and politicians gathered at the 25th International AIDS Conference in Munich this week to boost efforts to find ways to cure the epidemic. Around 40 million people worldwide are living with the disease – still an awful number despite all the medical progress that has been made over the decades.While AIDS has pretty much dropped off the radar in wealthy countries, the fight continues in many of the world’s poorer parts.A fight that needs not only money and research, but also empathy.“One person dies of AIDS every minute. One person every minute! That is something we must change. Our common goal is to end the epidemic by 2030,” said German chancellor Olaf Scholz addressing the conference.”We need more research, better prevention, people-centered information and thorough testing. But what we really have to keep working on is the fight against discrimination and stigma.”Is there a second pilot on this plane?Speaking of a danger to health… The European Cockpit Association of commercial pilots launched an ad campaign in Brussels Airport bathrooms this week to raise awareness of what they believe to be a massive safety risk.A proposal by aircraft manufacturers and airlines to have one pilot at the controls only – and not two.The idea has sparked massive resistance among pilots and is currently being evaluated the European Aviation Safety Agency.We talked to Tanja Harter, Technical Affairs Director at the European Cockpit Association, who is a pilot herself, for more on the issue.Euronews: Why do we need two pilots on an airplane?Harter: Two pilots on an airplane are there for a reason. We do have all the systems, everything on an aircraft at least twice. That includes the pilots. Pilots have very distinctive roles. They work together very closely, communicate all the time. And that’s how they solve problems and operate the flight. So, it’s always two that are doing this and thinking about what’s ahead and what what the issues are.Euronews: The ECA, your organisation, as well as thousands of pilots worldwide have been advocating against the “extended Minimum Crew Operations” for quite some time now – why is it obviously so difficult to convince the industry?Harter: Apparently it is a very tempting issue for various reasons. One might be called a cost-cutting exercise, the other might be the issue of presumed or perceived pilot shortage. All of these issues are coming our way and are used for a reasons. What we haven’t heard is a really pressing safety issue.Euronews: We know that aircraft manufacturers and airlines are the ones who are pushing for flights with one pilot – how will the aviation authorities and regulatory bodies react?Harter: Airbus as one of the manufacturers – apparently driven by the customers, the operators – has placed a request for certification of such an aircraft to the European regulator. And they are looking into the issue and the certification process is underway. (…) The call for experts has been out and we are waiting for the rulemaking to start. Euronews: Finally, when can we expect this issue to be settled once and for all?Harter: Well, that is a very good question. The rulemaking is supposed to start in the fall. If you look at the European plan for aviation safety, which is the timeline we are working with, they want to put it into operation as soon as 2027.A little birdie told meIt might be necessary these days to tell pilots about a stunning phenomenon in Cyprus. There the small community of Mesana has been swarmed by tens of thousands of migrating swallows.The birds are resting on utility poles and high-voltage lines. Why the swallows gather there only between six and eight in the morning and then scatter, is a mystery.They repeat this process religiously for two summer months until they fly to Africa in early September.According to experts, the birds relate to each other and begin travel plans. It might also be a way of organising their large community, no one knows for certain.Local lore has it that it brings bad luck to those who try to anger the birds.
