The Commission believes that the assistance program aligns with the rules of the domestic market.
In 2025, the German pilots' union, Cockpit (VC), introduced a new risk-based evaluation approach for airports, focusing on critical safety areas such as runway incursions and GPS jamming. This year's check also marked the first time GPS jamming was included due to the increasing number of GPS disruptions.
The new evaluation system weights measures according to their safety effectiveness, using a points system that yields percentage results. It is based on the guidelines of international aviation organizations such as ICAO, IFALPA, EASA, and Eurocontrol.
The VC Airport Check 2025 places increased importance on German airports' ability to prevent unauthorized runway access and maintain robust operational safety infrastructures. While specific German airport rankings are not detailed in the available search results, criteria suggest airports with strong runway safety teams, functioning stop bars, RESA (Runway End Safety Areas), and reliable backup navigation systems will rank higher.
Key safety concerns highlighted in the VC Airport Check 2025 include runway incursions and GPS jamming and navigation backup. Unauthorized entry onto active runways is a significant hazard, and effective safety mechanisms like stop bars, RESA, and well-trained on-ground runway safety teams are crucial to prevent incidents. Having redundant navigation systems like Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) or VOR/DME is also critical, as airports capable of switching to these systems during GPS failures improve safety and their check ratings.
New evaluation methods focus on effectiveness-based methodology and integration of emerging threat awareness. Moving beyond checklist compliance, the 2025 check assesses how well safety measures actually work in real operational conditions. The methodology also incorporates lessons from global aviation events and anticipates future risks such as electronic navigation vulnerabilities.
The VC Airport Check 2025 was conducted in cooperation with the Swiss pilots' association Aeropers, expanding it to Switzerland. Leipzig Airport topped the ranking, securing the top spot thanks to exemplary lighting systems and the partial 24/7 operation of stopbars. Erfurt climbed to fourth place due to dynamic "Follow the Greens" taxiway lighting. Mannheim left the bottom of the table due to good cooperation and installed Runway Guard Lights. Zurich remained stable in third place, while Munich, last year's winner, dropped to second place.
Paderborn improved to tenth place through a strong backup infrastructure, and safety-relevant measures like "permanently active stopbars or Runway End Safety Areas (RESA)" were given more weight in the new evaluation. The new methodology aims to enable smaller airports with structural constraints to achieve good results through targeted measures.
The Airport and Ground Environment (AGE) working group of the Cockpit union has been subjecting German commercial airports to an annual safety check since 1978. The evaluation is based on a criteria catalog that is continuously adapted to new requirements. Luebeck is the new last place in the 2025 ranking.
For more information on the VC Airport Check 2025, visit www.vc-airportcheck.de. This news article provides a general overview of the VC Airport Check 2025 and its key findings. For specific airport rankings and detailed results, please refer to the official VC Airport Check website.
- The new evaluation system, as introduced by Cockpit (VC) in 2025, also takes into account the safety measures in industries such as transportation, specifically airports, with a focus on preventing unauthorized runway access and maintaining robust operational safety infrastructures.
- Considering the increasing number of GPS disruptions and the importance of reliable navigation systems during such failures, the evaluation methodology in the VC Airport Check 2025 places emphasis on aerospace technology, particularly the availability of backup navigation systems like Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) or VOR/DME.
- Looking ahead, the 2025 evaluation methodology incorporates lessons from global aviation events and anticipates future risks, including technology-related threats such as electronic navigation vulnerabilities, in order to maintain the highest standards of safety in the finance sector - an integral part of the aviation industry.
