ECA welcomes the joint statement released by Norsk Flygerforbund, Danish ALPA, Finnish Pilots’ Association, Svensk Pilotförening and Estonian ALPA on the condemnation of airlines’ pushing for workers’ exploitation through the use of ‘inventive’ contractual arrangements.

ECA and its Members are very concerned by the turn the airline industry is taking in Europe, by outsourcing pilots’ services through individual contracts which deny them fundamental labour rights, promote social dumping and unfair competition, and can compromise flight safety levels for passengers. 

One of the biggest threats posed by this process is the ‘externalisation’ of the Airlines’ own responsibility to the individual pilot. The precariousness of such individual contracts, together with the pressure put on pilots by the airline to minimise operational costs, compromises the pilots’ effective ability to take appropriate decisions solely based on safety concerns.

ECA and its Member Associations fully support the joint initiative and commit to take all the necessary steps at EU level to prevent a further deterioration of pilots’ labour rights and to avoid negative repercussions on aviation safety. ECA will continue asking the European Commission and its Member States to set up the adequate framework allowing pilots to effectively exercise their workers’ rights across Europe.