Whistleblowing statement

Why we publish this statement

Directive (EU) 2019/1937 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law obliges private organisations with 50 or more workers to operate an internal reporting channel. Black Standard is below that threshold and is therefore not legally required to maintain one.

We publish this statement and operate the channel described below voluntarily. Chartering aircraft means working with operators, handling agents and intermediaries across many jurisdictions, and the practical value of an open reporting route does not depend on a headcount figure.

Who can report

Anyone connected with our business may use this channel: employees and freelancers, customers, operators, ground handlers, agents, suppliers, applicants, and former contacts. You do not need to be certain that something is wrong; a reasonable suspicion is enough.

What can be reported

Bribery, kickbacks and improper payments in connection with charter or ACMI business.

Fraud, invoice manipulation, misrepresentation of rates, or undisclosed conflicts of interest.

Breaches of sanctions, export control rules or aviation security requirements.

Falsified documentation, including dangerous goods declarations, air waybills or customs paperwork.

Breaches of data protection, confidentiality obligations or competition law.

Forced labour, human trafficking or serious safety failures at any counterparty we work with.

How to report

Reports can be sent to welcome@cargocharternetwork.com with "Whistleblowing" in the subject line, or by post to Black Standard, Pfarrer-Benz-Straße 7, 76275 Ettlingen, Germany, marked for the attention of the proprietor and "confidential".

Reports are received by the director. Where a report concerns the director personally, state this in the subject line so that an external adviser is instructed to review it instead.

Anonymous reports are accepted and are assessed on their content. An anonymous report limits our ability to ask follow-up questions, so please describe the facts, the parties, the dates and any documents as precisely as you can.

What happens to a report

We acknowledge receipt within seven days where a contact channel is available.

We assess the report, gather the information required, and where necessary involve external legal or accounting advisers under a duty of confidentiality.

We give feedback on the outcome and on any measures taken within three months of the acknowledgement, unless doing so would prejudice an investigation or breach a legal obligation.

Where a report substantiates wrongdoing we act on it: correcting the process, ending the business relationship concerned, and reporting to the competent authority where the law requires it.

Confidentiality and data protection

The identity of a reporting person, of the person concerned and of any third party named is treated as confidential and disclosed only to those who need it to handle the report, or where disclosure is required by law.

Personal data contained in a report are processed on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, our legitimate interest in detecting and remedying wrongdoing, and Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR where a legal obligation applies. Records of a report are retained for as long as they are needed to handle the case and to document its outcome, and are then deleted.

Further information on the processing of personal data is set out in our privacy notice.

No retaliation

Nobody who makes a report in good faith will suffer any disadvantage for it. This applies to employees and equally to commercial relationships: we will not terminate, downgrade or withhold business from a customer, operator or supplier because a report was made.

Deliberately false reports made in bad faith are a separate matter and may have consequences.

External reporting

You are free at any time to approach a competent authority instead of, or in addition to, using this channel. Nothing in this statement restricts that right or any statutory protection you may have.