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This week in Europe – Only one pilot? A dispute over cockpit crews

Published

2 years ago

February 16, 2024

This week in Europe – Only one pilot? A dispute over cockpit crews

In this edition of State of the Union we focus on considerations by the EU aviation safety authority and some airlines to cut one pilot for cost reasons. The pilots are vehemently opposed to this.

The world has gotten used to nonsensical remarks by Donald Trump.

That’s why European leaders rarely comment on them, they usually hold their noses and move on.

But Trump’s suggestion during a campaign rally that the United States would not protect NATO allies who fail to spend enough on defense sparked a rare public backlash.

“Dangerous”, “unhinged”, “appalling” – those were some of the friendlier reactions.

Here’s the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell:

“NATO cannot be an ‘a la carte’ military alliance, it cannot be a military alliance that works depending on the humor of the president of the US on those days. It is not ‘yes, no, yes, tomorrow, no, it depends, who are you?’ Now come on, let’s be serious. Let’s be serious.“

At a meeting of NATO defence ministers this week, participants were also not in a mood to mince words.

“The whole idea of NATO is that an attack on one ally will trigger the response from the whole alliance and as long as we stand behind that message together, we prevent any military attack on any ally,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

“So, any suggestion that we are not standing up for each other, that we are not going to protect each other, that does undermine the security of all of us.”

Stoltenberg also reported record military spending of the alliance.

As budgetary decisions are taken over a period of months, NATO spending cannot be considered a direct response to Trump – who has a track record of hostile remarks about NATO.

It rather reflects a response to Russian aggression and Vladimir Putin.

The higher military spending is being done in a rather difficult economic situation.

This week, European aerospace group Airbus reported its latest earnings. The numbers were mixed, the financial forecast for 2024 was cautious.

In general, it’s a tough financial environment for the aviation industry who is looking toward cutting costs everywhere.

One option under consideration is a reduction of the number of pilots at the controls of an airliner, it’s called the “extended Minimum Crew Operations”, eMCO.

Something that pilots believe is a deeply concerning development that would come at the cost of safety.

To discuss this, we were joined by Otjan de Bruijn, president of the European Cockpit Association.

Below is a transcript of our interview.

Euronews: So, you represent more than 40,000 pilots in 33 countries – tell us why your organisation is against eMCO?

De Bruijn: So, in aviation, we have redundancy and backup for all safety-critical systems. And this philosophy is at the core of modern aviation. To give you an example, on board of large airplanes, every safety-critical system is installed two-fold or three-fold. To prevent this crucial failure currently, there are also two pilots at the controls of an aircraft. Two pilots work as a team. They serve as this critical safety net monitoring system, but also monitor each other, detecting errors and mitigating potential hazards before they escalate.

Euronews: What are the risks associated with a one-pilot-only scheme?

De Bruijn: So, in this concept, when this one pilot is there for hours, during the cruise phase, he or she would need to take a toilet break. And during this toilet break, there would be no pilot. So, what happens, for instance, if at that moment air traffic control asks you to deviate from your flight path if there is an engine fire or smoke developing on the flight deck or a collision warning, I, as a pilot will not be able to be responsible for the safety of my passengers, of my crew and my aircraft.

Euronews: The one-pilot-concept is under evaluation by the EU Aviation Safety Agency. How advanced is this evaluation and have you guys been consulted?

De Bruijn: So, in the last two years, a small group of stakeholders has been consulted in which we, indeed, were also consulted and have been involved. This is the first time in history that the European Aviation Safety Agency is starting rule-making without the purpose of solving a safety issue. Instead, they are introducing many safety issues, and we have no trust in this evaluation process being carried out independently and impartially.

Euronews: What about your employers, the airlines, where do they come down on this?

De Bruijn: Well, it is very simple. It is commercially driven by some airlines who see a potential of saving some money by reducing the number of pilots during long-haul flights. Airlines may be tempted by the prospect of gaining this cost-saving competitive advantage through the elimination of this pilot. However, they may find themselves unpleasantly surprised to discover that commercial incentives are an extremely risky driver in aviation. And if they doubt this, they should simply ask Boeing.

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World

Map: 6.3-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Afghanistan

Published

11 hours ago

November 3, 2025

Press Room

Map: 6.3-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Afghanistan

Note: Map shows the area with a shake intensity of 4 or greater, which U.S.G.S. defines as “light,” though the earthquake may be felt outside the areas shown. All times on the map are Afghanistan time. The New York Times

A strong, 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck in Afghanistan on Monday, according to the United States Geological Survey. Follow our coverage here.

The temblor happened at 12:59 a.m. Afghanistan time about 20 miles southeast of Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, data from the agency shows.

As seismologists review available data, they may revise the earthquake’s reported magnitude. Additional information collected about the earthquake may also prompt U.S.G.S. scientists to update the shake-severity map.

Source: United States Geological Survey | Notes: Shaking categories are based on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale. When aftershock data is available, the corresponding maps and charts include earthquakes within 100 miles and seven days of the initial quake. All times above are Afghanistan time. Shake data is as of Sunday, Nov. 2 at 4:01 p.m. Eastern. Aftershocks data is as of Monday, Nov. 3 at 10:15 a.m. Eastern.

Maps: Daylight (urban areas); MapLibre (map rendering); Natural Earth (roads, labels, terrain); Protomaps (map tiles)

World

Mexican mayor who took hard line against drug gangs shot and killed at Day of the Dead event

Published

13 hours ago

November 3, 2025

Press Room

Mexican mayor who took hard line against drug gangs shot and killed at Day of the Dead event

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A Mexican mayor who was outspoken in his opposition to drug cartels and pushed for hardline laws against trafficking was killed in a shooting at a Day of the Dead celebration this weekend.

Before his death, Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo had been critical of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum for what he saw as a lack of effort in combating cartels. His city lies in Michoacán State, which suffers from particularly high levels of cartel violence.

“We need greater determination from the president of Mexico,” Manzo told local media in September, vowing not to take “a single step back.”

“I do not want to be just another mayor on the list of those who have been executed and had their lives taken away from them,” he continued. “I am very afraid, but I must face it with courage.”

FAMILY MEMBER OF INFANTS BURNED ALIVE BY CARTEL THANKS TRUMP FOR CRACKDOWN: ‘HOPEFUL FOR THE FIRST TIME’

Carlos Manzo, Uruapan’s mayor and one of the few independent politicians elected to office in Mexico, attends a candlelight Day of the Dead festival in Uruapan, Michoacan State, Mexico, shortly before he was shot, resulting in his death, Nov. 1, 2025, in this screengrab taken from a live video streamed by his team and obtained from social media. (Carlos Manzo via Facebook/Handout via REUTERS)

State officials say Manzo was shot seven times on Saturday night during a Day of the Dead vigil. He died of his wounds in a nearby hospital.

COAST GUARD NABS 50 TONS OF COCAINE BOUND FOR POSH COASTAL ENCLAVES AS CARTEL OPS ‘RIVAL AMAZON’: EXPERT

Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuch announced an investigation into Manzo’s killing on Sunday.

Family and friends attend the funeral of Carlos Manzo, the mayor who was shot dead during a Day of the Dead event, in Uruapan, Mexico, Nov. 2, 2025. (REUTERS/Ivan Arias)

“We send our deepest condolences to his family, loved ones and the residents of Uruapan, who today are experiencing a painful and unjust loss at the hands of organized crime,” Harfuch said at a press conference. “There will be no impunity.”

Authorities said Manzo’s security was extensive, comprised of officers handpicked by Manzo as well as 14 National Guard members.

Funeral procession for Carlos Manzo, Uruapan's mayor

A person holds a picture of Carlos Manzo, the mayor who was shot dead during a Day of the Dead event, in Uruapan, Mexico, Nov. 2, 2025. (REUTERS/Ivan Arias)

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Manzo’s aggressive approach to crime earned him the moniker “Mexican Bukele,” referring to El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, who has led a massive crackdown on gang violence in his country. According to the New York Times, Manzo had been critical of Sheinbaum’s approach to cartel issues since her inauguration in October 2024.

“If she thinks she’s going to detain these criminals without a single shot fired and that they’ll just turn themselves in, well, she should get it done,” Manzo said in a May speech, referring to Sheinbaum. “And believe me, if she manages to do that, I will immediately submit my resignation.”

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

World

No, picture of heavily guarded German Christmas market isn’t real

Published

14 hours ago

November 3, 2025

Press Room

No, picture of heavily guarded German Christmas market isn’t real

It might still be too early for some, but with Halloween over, Christmas is well and truly on the way, and a wave of misinformation about the festive season is also on its way.

A picture going around online and shared on social media in multiple European languages, allegedly shows a small German Christmas market surrounded by police, vehicles and fences.

The captions shared with the photo lament that Christmas markets in Europe now have to be so heavily protected from terrorist attacks, with some baselessly blaming immigration or “diversity”.

However, the image has clearly been AI-generated: zooming into people’s faces, and text like the vehicles’ registration plates, shows that they are blurred and distorted.

Additionally, in the bottom right-hand corner of the picture, we can just about see the logo of Gemini, Google’s AI assistant, proving that it was artificially created.

Those sharing the photo appear to want to whip up fear off the back of real attacks that have targeted German Christmas markets in the past, such as the attack in Berlin in 2016 and the attack in Magdeburg last year.

The former saw a terrorist drive a lorry into the market, killing 12 and leaving more than 50 injured, while in the latter, a man drove an SUV into the crowd, killing six and injuring more than 300.

The incidents have also sparked other misleading narratives related to the markets, most notably false claims that Germany is cancelling all its Christmas markets due to fears over immigration and terrorism.

We can easily check this by visiting the tourism office websites belonging to the cities where Germany hosts some of its most iconic markets.

The city of Cologne, for example, whose Christmas markets welcome around 4 million people a year, is still clearly preparing to celebrate the festivities from mid-November.

The same is true of Frankfurt, which clearly indicates the dates its market will be open.

To be sure, both cities confirmed when contacted by The Cube that they will be hosting their Christmas markets as well.

Unfortunately, some German Christmas markets will indeed be closed this year, but not due to concerns over potential terrorist attacks.

Visitors to the popular market in Dortmund’s Bodelschwingh Castle will have to wait until 2027 to celebrate as, according to its website, the castle is undergoing repairs.

Elsewhere, market operators in Rahlstedt have cited diminishing returns as a reason for cancelling their market, as stallholders failed to make enough money to justify holding the market again.

Despite the news of some smaller markets being shut down for various reasons, the vast majority in Germany will still go ahead, complete with comprehensive, reasonable, and often increased security measures. These include things such as erecting concrete barriers, hiring extra security staff and conducting bag checks.