This summer, millions of Europeans will board planes expecting to be carried across skies by highly trained, well-rested professionals. But the blunt reality is that behind the cockpit door, many pilots are exhausted.

The European wet-leasing (ACMI) market is growing fast. Between 2024 and 2025, wet-lease activity in Europe nearly doubled – more aircraft, more providers, more flights. But with this growth comes a darker reality: More ACMI means more opportunities for workers' abuse.

Wet-leasing, also known as ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) leasing, has become a common industry practice where airlines lease aircraft and accompanying crews from other carriers. Passenger feedback indicates dissatisfaction with the experience of flying on older aircraft

The publication of EASA’s final report on the safety risks of single-pilot flying marks the close of a critical research phase – and a significant pause in the industry’s push toward reduced crew operations.

Due to extremely busy summer operations, pilots are faced with a number of safety-relevant issues and disruptions. This checklist has been compiled by the European Cockpit Association to keep crew focused on what’s important: safety.
 

The Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) define the common rules and operational provisions regarding services and procedures in European air navigation. They are therefore applicable to all European operators and their pilots. Commission Implementing Regulations (EU) 2024/403,

As pilots, flight operators, and aviation professionals, we know the responsibility that comes with our roles. Every day, thousands of lives depend on our focus, our decisions, and our commitment to the highest standards of safety. It’s not just a job – it’s a trust. 

For those of us flying in business aviation, it has become clear that rest and flight time limitations and the growing pressure of increasingly demanding rosters, are becoming more and more problematic. Pilots routinely face long duty days, extended rotations, minimal rest, and numerous

BUCHAREST | BRUSSELS When Wizz Air dismissed a thousand pilots and cabin crew members in 2020, citing the need to root out “bad apples” –pilots who were “often sick” or “caused grief” – the airline likely did not anticipate the repercussions. What began as an internal decision soon became

Women in aviation still deal with gender imbalances when it comes to recruitment, development opportunities and wage gaps. While the majority of cabin crew and customer-facing jobs at airports are female employees, they are significantly underrepresented as pilots and in ATM, maintenance

For decades, airline CEOs have championed deregulation, arguing fewer rules mean lower fares and more competition. But less regulation also brings risks: safety concerns, job insecurity, and a shift in power toward corporate interests. Ryanair embodies this push: Michael O’Leary rails