The German pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit published its annual VC airport check this week. Munich Airport took first place this time and the inglorious “red lantern” went to Weeze.

Leipzig/Halle took second place, followed by Stuttgart, Bremen, Erfurt, Kassel-Calden and Cologne/Bonn. The Cockpit association describes these airports as “very good airports”. The increased involvement of the Cockpit Association (VC) with regard to security issues at Cologne-Bonn, Stuttgart, Munich and Kassel-Calden airports should also be positively emphasized. The exchange between all those involved is a fundamental prerequisite for safe flight and airport operations.

“We welcome the fact that – despite all the security challenges that still exist – a constant change for the better can be observed at German airports. The technical security level is high and is continuously being improved. Above all, we are pleased that VC's expertise in safety issues is being valued at more and more airports and that we, as a professional association, can contribute to the Local Runway Safety Teams (LRST)," says Matthias Baier, spokesman for VC.

There is currently more movement at the lower end of the scale than in the upper segment. Weeze Airport brings up the rear this year with a grade of 2,9. In addition, Saarbrücken (from 2,2 to 2,7) and Nuremberg (from 1,8 to 2,3) have also slipped significantly.

The decisive factor for the significantly poorer rating here was that the VC is still not invited to the LRST at these airfields, in which, for example, incidents or planned structural changes are discussed in a confidential setting. The more participants, the more effective these teams are. It is often the already very good airports that discuss incidents with all stakeholders at the airport. There we experience again and again how a positive corporate culture, in which we pilots are taken on board, noticeably increases safety.

Another focus of the airport check is to what extent the taxiways at German airports comply with the specifications of the International Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the recommendations of the European Aviation Authority (EASA). What is particularly important here is consecutive naming of the taxiways in the landing direction (e.g. E, D, C, B, A). With regard to the naming of the taxiways, Düsseldorf Airport is particularly positive, as it has used exemplary, logical, alphanumeric naming on both runways. Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Leipzig and Munich did well here. Although they follow the ICAO specification for a logical, alpha-numeric designation, these are not oriented in the main landing direction. For Frankfurt it's not enough to get a 1, since very large gaps in the sequence of numbers make it difficult for the cockpit crews to find the right exit (e.g. P14 - P16 - P20 - P24). In contrast, the lack of logic in Heringsdorf, Memmingen, Münster and Rostock (e.g. C/D – B – E – B/D – A) is problematic.