Cargolux

We would like to bring your attention to the evolving health situation regarding vector-borne diseases, specifically Dengue and Chikungunya, in regions close to or frequently served by our network. 

Recent reports for early 2026 show an increase in mosquito-borne infections. Brazil is currently seeing high Dengue activity, particularly in the Southeast and Southern regions. In  Southern China (Guangdong Province), an ongoing Chikungunya outbreak continues to affect Foshan, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. 

We have recently received feedback from a colleague who was infected with Chikungunya. To protect yourself, please ensure you: 

• Check Travel Requirements: Review destination-specific health advisories before operating into Brazil or China. 
• Practice Bite Prevention: Use DEET-based repellents, wear long sleeves during layovers, and stay in screened or air-conditioned environments. Note that these mosquitoes are most active during daylight hours. 

We are in active dialogue with the Chief Pilot’s Office (CPO) to ensure that general guidance and a list of recommended vaccinations are officially published in the SCL. We have also proposed that Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) actively monitor global outbreak situations and issue “flash warnings” to crews when a situation develops at one of our destinations. 

Regarding Vaccinations  

For those looking into the Dengue vaccine, current guidance primarily prioritizes individuals who have had a prior Dengue infection or those with prolonged exposure to endemic areas. In any case, a consultation with your AME is advised to discuss your specific medical history and any required grounding periods. 

On a different topic, we are happy to announce the newly established ALPL App Development Committee, consisting of: 

Markus Buberl 
Fabian Koch 
Mathias Henrich 
Sebastian Klose 

Our colleagues have volunteered to support the launch and development of the long-awaited ALPL App. A big thank you to the team for their efforts, especially to Thomas Freymann (Luxair Division) and Artur Kurkowiak, who has been working on this for quite some time! 

We are aware that the current range of features is limited. However, the goal is to provide a growing suite of valuable tools within the app through continuous development. Artur and the entire committee are also working hard on an Android release to ensure all members have access soon.  

While additional features are already under development, we encourage you to send your suggestions or questions to our dedicated address: app@alpl.lu 

In the meantime, we hope you find the current features – such as offline access to our PBS tutorial videos, the “Know your CWA“ documents, and the new Podcast – useful and informative.  

Note: Feedback and topic requests for the podcast can be sent to podcast@alpl.lu. 

• 📲 Download the ALPL App (iOS): https://alpl.lu/app 

Fly safe and stay healthy! 

Here is a quick update following the latest meeting of the PBS working group. We’ve been digging into the statistics for the January and February rosters, and there are some interesting trends to share.

The good news is that we are seeing a positive trend in the number of viable bids. While we still see non-viable bids popping up, the overall number is decreasing. This is a great indication that more of you are becoming familiar with the system’s limitations and avoiding those common “trap” mistakes.

In this context, we would like to remind you of our PBS Tutorial videos. Please take the time to watch them to familiarize yourself with the bidding system and how to make optimum use of it. These videos are available on our website and the new ALPL App, which allows you to access them easily and watch them offline.

📲 Download the ALPL App (iOS):https://alpl.lu/app

Statistics
Below are the numbers at a glance, based on viable bids:

We also saw a steady use of waivers across both months (roughly 60 Captains and 80 First Officers). Success rates for those using waivers hovered between 73% – 76% and 73% – 83% respectively.

According to Crew Planning, February is a tough month to produce rosters. The short 28-day period, combined with big blocks of off-days and XPA days, creates tighter constraints within the system, making it harder to find valid solutions. On top of that, Carnival leads to a high volume of requests for the same period, which impacts the success rate for bids.

To improve this moving forward, Crew Planning mentioned the possibility of creating shorter trips for February in the future. This would make it easier to allocate off-days and trips simultaneously, ultimately boosting the success rate.

Overlapping Trips
This remains an ongoing topic. While we work toward a long-term solution, Crew Planning and the CPO have suggested an interim fix: if you want to avoid or limit the number of days a trip overlaps into the next roster period, you can email Crew Planning directly to indicate your preference. It is important to note that due to the nature of our operations, overlapping trips will always exist to a certain extent and cannot be avoided altogether.

To prevent the department from being flooded with emails, we kindly ask that you keep these inquiries to a minimum and only reach out if it is truly necessary. This will help them manage the workload and focus on the most essential requests.

Therefore, while our colleagues in Crew Planning will do their best to accommodate these requests, please understand they cannot guarantee that every request can be granted.

We are pleased to announce the launch of two new initiatives today: our new communication channel, “ALPL Raw Data – The Cargolux Divisional Board Podcast”, and the release of the new ALPL App for iOS.

We are always looking for ways to improve how we communicate with you. While regular email updates are essential, they have their limits. This podcast gives us the possibility to dive deeper into complex topics, providing more context and better information than a standard text update allows.

This format creates a livelier conversation and allows us to interact around a wide range of topics. It is easy to follow during a commute, making it a convenient option for many members. At the same time, it offers a unique opportunity to get to know your representatives better and allows us to act with greater transparency.

What can you expect?

• Format: We aim to release episodes as frequently as possible, though on a flexible schedule. This podcast is designed to complement our existing email updates, not replace them.
• Deep Dives: We will explore specific subjects in detail that matter to our operations and our members.
• Authenticity: As the name suggests, this is about the content. Please note that audio quality may vary from episode to episode, as we won’t always be recording in a studio. Guests may join us remotely to ensure we get the right people talking about the right topics, regardless of location.

You can access the podcast via our website or conveniently on the go with our new app.

• 📲 Download the ALPL App (iOS): https://alpl.lu/app
• 🎧 Listen on the Website: https://alpl.lu/login

Important: To access the app, simply log in using the same credentials (username and password) as you use for the ALPL website. No new registration is required. 

Note for Android Users: An Android version of the App is in the making. In the meantime, you can fully access the podcast via our website. However, if you would prefer a different channel, please let us know.We want this to be a two-way conversation. We are confident that this step will significantly improve our communication, but we need your input. Please send your questions or suggest topics you would like us to cover to podcast@alpl.lu.

A small request: Please bear with us if the first episodes aren’t technically perfect yet. We are committed to informing you better and are learning as we go. We would also appreciate your honest feedback on whether you like this new format.
We hope you tune in!

As 2025 draws to a close, the entire ALPL Cargolux Divisional Board wishes you and your loved ones a joyful Holiday Season and a happy New Year!

We would like to take this opportunity to reflect on the past year. In February, the new PBS options were implemented, and it has been encouraging to see a steady improvement in individual success rates. We recognize that the introduction of the new PBS in 2022 had a significant impact on quality of life and off-time requests, creating a clear need for refinement. The system’s complexity, technical hurdles, and reliance on third-party providers have been challenging for everyone involved.

While not every off-time request can be fulfilled, the combination of tutorial videos, inflight briefings, and individual coaching has led to better results and a deeper understanding of PBS across the community. The system remains imperfect, but we are committed to making continued improvements through the PBS Working Group. Your feedback plays a vital role in identifying technical issues or patterns that hinder the pilot community, and we sincerely appreciate your contributions.

In May, elections for the Divisional Board took place. Following changes to the ALPL statutes in 2024, the Board has expanded from seven to eleven members. This expansion allows us to distribute the workload more evenly and improve succession planning. The term has also been extended to four years (2025–2029), aligning with the Cargolux Delegation’s term. A larger team naturally brings more perspectives and lively debate – but this diversity of experience and fresh ideas ultimately enhances pilot representation.

However, our work is only possible thanks to your ongoing support and engagement. You, the members, are the backbone of our efforts and it is encouraging to see stable membership levels, as we welcome new hires taking the place of those who have retired or left for personal reasons.

Finally, as in previous years, fatigue mitigation continues to be a priority at Cargolux. We will not stop highlighting this critical topic and progress requires collaboration between the company and the pilot group. Your reports are essential for identifying hotspots in our network and enable our representatives in the FSAG to tackle them effectively. Please support their efforts to ensure meaningful outcomes – they depend on a strong reporting culture.

Thank you for your unwavering support during another busy year. We hope you enjoy some well-deserved time with your loved ones during the festive season.
 
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

As part of our ongoing work within the Fatigue Safety Action Group (FSAG) and our commitment to promoting a strong safety culture, we would like to share a useful IFALPA document that provides clear guidance on how to complete effective fatigue reports:

IFALPA Fatigue Reporting Guidance

Fatigue reporting remains one of the most important tools for identifying operational risks and supporting long-term fatigue trend analysis. High-quality reports allow the FSAG and the company to better understand the factors influencing alertness and to implement appropriate mitigations where needed.

This document provides:

• Practical, neutral terminology for describing fatigue-related events,
• Clear examples of the information that helps safety teams analyse reports,
• Guidance on describing causal factors, sleep evaluation, and mitigations,
• A step-by-step overview of what constitutes an effective fatigue report.

We encourage all pilots to review and use this guidance as a helpful reference when submitting future fatigue reports. Consistent, factual, and well-structured reporting strengthens our safety system and benefits all of us.

Thank you for your continued professionalism and support! If you have any questions or would like further clarification, please feel free to reach out.