A far-reaching Cooperation Agreement to strengthen pilot representation in Europe as well as world-wide has been signed by the European Cockpit Association (ECA) and the International Federation of Airline Pilots' Associations (IFALPA). In addition to representing the EU interest of over 36.400 European flight crew members, ECA now takes on board the full representation of IFALPA in Europe.
Building on many years of very close cooperation, the new Agreement takes the ECA-IFALPA tandem a decisive step forward. As of now, pilot representation in Europe will be exclusively through ECA, but in close co-ordination with IFALPA. Many of ECA's pilot experts are also active in IFALPA. Hence, the new Agreement will lead both to continuity in terms of interest representation and policy positions, and to synergies in terms of an efficient use of the two Associations' resources and expertise. It also constitutes a consistent step in IFALPA's move towards 'regionalisation' of its activities, wherever possible building on existing regional organisations, such as ECA.
The Agreement covers technical, industrial and membership activities in the European region for which IFALPA delegates responsibility to ECA. It provides for mechanisms ensuring a high degree of mutual policy coordination, and offers IFALPA’s European members an organisational forum for regional meetings as part of ECA Conferences.
In addition to ECA’s traditional role as the pilots’ voice vis-à-vis the central EU institutions:
- European Commission,
- Council of Ministers,
- European Parliament,
- European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA),
- EUROCONTROL,
- Joint Aviation Authorities (before their tasks being fully taken over by EASA),
- European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC)
- ICAO Regional Office – for which IFALPA retains overall responsibility.
- Bulgarian Airline Pilots’ Association (BUL-ALPA) – as a full member
- Cockpit Personnel Association of Russia (CPAR) as ECA’s first associate member.
the Agreement expands ECA's role as the pilots' representative to the:
ECA Member Associations also approved applications for membership from two more pilot associations, thereby further broadening ECA's representative and geographical scope:
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