After welcoming the pilots from Swiss European Air Lines into their Association at the beginning of 2008, the national umbrella organisation Aeropers SwissALPA has also joined forces with the pilots from ESPA (the easyJet Switzerland Pilots' Association). The Swiss easyJet pilots will now be able to actively participate in, and be represented by, the national and international pilots' bodies, such as ECA and IFALPA. With this step, Aeropers SwissALPA represents all commercial pilots in Switzerland, confirming its position as a serious and competent partner in all fields of aviation.

A bit further South, while the negotiations in Alitalia are still ongoing, the Presidents from the two biggest Italian Pilots' unions, Mr. Berti and Mr. Notaro - ANPAC (ECA member) and UP (Unione Piloti) - publicly announced their wish to merge, to form one single association. With this future merger, ANPAC - who already represents the overwhelming majority of Italian commercial pilots - will become even more representative for the Italian flight crew community.

ECA has always promoted cooperation between pilots at national, European and international levels and is pleased to see that more and more pilots seek the extra strength in joining forces.