Removal of customs status -- now Germany

Peter,

I don't suggest that they will close them at airports where airline traffic is evident, but there they less and less want GA traffic. That is the problem. We will end up with a situation where all the nice and small airfields (as opposed to airline served airports) will end up without customs which means that in order to fly to Germany or France (and I don't suppose that this will only happen there) you will end up flying first to a Ryan Air hub for customs, even if that means you will need to backtrack in order to get to your closer destination.

Incidently I was talking to one head of a Swiss flight school recently who has told me that some of our most often used training airports in Southern Germany are in danger of loosing their customs clearance, which would mean they are lost to us. Realistically, this would leave exactly two (2) airports with customs clearance in Southern Germany, Friedrichshafen and Memmingen with customs. Both are not exactly cheap. The airfields of Leutkirch, Donaueschingen and Mengen, which have been used extensively for training in recent years, seem all 3 of them in danger of loosing theirs, despite lots of traffic between Switzerland and them. So far they all managed to hang on to it as numbers still add up to enough movements to be above the limit, yet I am aware that there are political forces behind trying to rise those numbers required in order to keep the evil Swiss out and in order to keep their own citizens from flying to the tax haven of Switzerland...

Same thing was actually involved in France's closing of massive amounts of customs airfields, namely in the Paris area, because they wanted to stop the traffic to the Channel Islands as well as to and from the UK. It is quite interesting that the most important fields near Switzerland managed to hang on to their customs clearances.

In both cases, many airfields have pleaded their case that they would loose massive income with the loss of customs and therefore would need state subsidies to survive, if customs clearance was withdrawn, in some cases with reasonable success. It has to be noted that a lot of airfields loose their customs clearance against their explicit will.

If Germany decides to close all their customs at all airfields

They cannot possibly do that, since a lot of German airports have airline traffic.

For example Easyjet fly between Dortmund and the UK, so the €30-landing-fee Dortmund is going to be OK.

Same in France.

Same on all those Greek Islands that have holiday traffic.

Le Touquet is a bit of a grey case since it has no airline traffic, so if somebody is going to look at keeping Customs there on a purely economic basis they will need to look at GA traffic, which I hope would be more than plentiful in that case.

Until recently it did and apparently still does against a price.

If Germany decides to close all their customs at all airfields, then trips from/to Switzerland, the UK and Norway (just to name a few) will be impossible. Of course this would help those who wish for GA to be gone just one step further... France has done somethink alike this but still kept a number of mid size airfields with customs, I reckon so will Germany have to, certainly those who have regular flights to non EU or non Schengen states.

But of course you do have a point. Closing down anything connected with aviation is a major and easily achieved boost for many politicians and it looks good to tell the voters that they saved a couple of € on the backs of the hated playboys with their expensive flying toys...

So Hangelar now has no customs either? Seems like quite a few airports in Germany are loosing their privileges now. I do wonder how long until there are only the larger hubs have them who don't accept light aviation anyhow.

Edit: Just checked the Hangelar Website:

For flights to and from Switzerland, Customs can be requested 48 hours before the flight... at a cost of €130! In fact this means the same thing... go elsewhere for customs as long as there still is such a place.

It's not a problem going to non-EU-but-Schengen (Switzerland + Norway) because one doesn't need clearance in Germany unless one has something to declare (only for outbound flights) but it's a major nuisance when flying to outside the EU or outside Schengen. Nothing sucks more than an extra stop that isn't really necessary.

Yes, I totally agree. When we came back from Norway three weeks ago, I had to land at EDLE, because EDKB has also ceased customs service. Although they are still mandated to conduct FBP tasks, i.e. passport control.

But there seem to be differences for customs services among airfields. EDLE for example doesn't have customs officers on premises, but is authorized to act on behalf. So at least you don't go through the full procedure there. I just hat to pay the landing fee and off I went to EDKB.

The same applies to doctors I am told, but I don't know from first hand accounts. There's no way you can build yourself a decent life under these circumstances.

Then check your sources. Both my GP and my ophthalmologist are Germans, and it seems they live quite decently.

But it's difficult for the German or Spanish guy because he will get a one year contract

I know quite a lot of Germans here and none of them has a time limited contract. Of course, don't expect a life employment these days...

Of course, your skill set has to be in demand, otherwise it'll be difficult to get a decent job.

I heard of a Spanish English major who was turned down a job as English teacher because his English wasn't good enough...

Of course not. But the highest EU level is lower than the lowest Swiss level.

That's BS. Last time I checked (which is admittedly a few years ago), the housing market in Munich was pretty similar to Zurich.

Not now, but wait until Switzerland has joined the EU and every engineer can apply

As I already explained and even posted a link to the BFM site, this is already the case. Every European (except maybe the EU-2) can already apply, and the hassle getting the necessary permit is next to zero. I know, I've recently had a french engineer employed.

I don't think there's an uniform EU level. If you compare eg. Munich with say Kerkira, there's more difference than just the weather.

Of course not. But the highest EU level is lower than the lowest Swiss level. In everything, from salaries, price of land and houses to quality of products.

First, it already isn't difficult to hire a german or a spanish guy if you can get one.

But it's difficult for the German or Spanish guy because he will get a one year contract that can only be renewed if no Swiss guy turns up in the meantime who wants the job himself. I know quite a few guys (engineers and pilots, the only professions I am familiar with) who after some years did not get their contract renewed. The same applies to doctors I am told, but I don't know from first hand accounts. There's no way you can build yourself a decent life under these circumstances.

Third, no good german engineer would work for 5000CHF in Zürich, given the cost of living.

Not now, but wait until Switzerland has joined the EU and every engineer can apply. Why shouldn't employers pick the cheapest, just like everywhere else?

Our planes can travel much further than the local politicians think. Schengen is not really ALL of Europe, far from it, neither is the EU, even though there things are getting close.

But what about flying outside the EU or Schengen? Most of our travel planes can do this non stop but are now forced to land first on one of the few remaining customs airports in order to do exit customs and entry customs. That brings a lot of cost which is not needed.

From the UK, Paris can't be reached non stop anymore and it is not really a long way. Likewise the Channel Islands traffic can't fly into France without stopping someplace they did not really want to go to.

Closing down these services is mostly a question of petty cash money calculations in a time when governments are sufficiently cash strapped they will go to any lenghts to show the citizens they save.

I won't get into the "why is Switzerland still not in the EU" issue here to much but there are a lot more than just a few reasons why not. Most countries who have joined have had to pay a massive price. I sincerely hope that Switzerland won't fall into this trap, even if the economic war which is waged against us for a few years now increases. The people are clear on this, no way. They are as clear as the people in many current EU countries that they want out, our politicians are as clear as in most current and aspiring countries that they want in. The difference is, in Switzerland the people have the last say.

would drop to EU levels overnight

I don't think there's an uniform EU level. If you compare eg. Munich with say Kerkira, there's more difference than just the weather.

And why should a Swiss engineering company pay 10.000 CHF a month for a Swiss engineer, if they can have a German or Spanish one for 5.000

This is wrong on so many levels...

First, it already isn't difficult to hire a german or a spanish guy if you can get one. In Zürich 30% of the population is foreigners, of which about a third is germans. And some german municipalities complain about 10% foreigners. (It can be more difficult for some new EU countries like bulgaria and romania).

Second, good engineers tend to be an employee's market. So you hire what you can get.

Third, no good german engineer would work for 5000CHF in Zürich, given the cost of living.

Having to fly throuh customs airfields therefore must be a very small price for a Swiss pilot to pay for avoiding all that ;-)

I agree with this one 8-)

pilot salaries in Germany

I cannot believe that the pilot profession is in any way representative.