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 against EU ownership and control rules, decries state aid – unless it benefits an airport Ryanair uses – and relentlessly pushes to weaken regulations. He’s not alone, he’s just the loudest.

The result? The EU has largely given in to their lobby.

It harmonised air safety rules but always to the minimum common denominator. In many occasions hard limits have been replaced with guidelines or recommendations (“soft law”). Flight duty time limits, meant as safeguards, are treated as targets, leaving pilots and cabin crew dangerously fatigued. A 2023 fatigue survey of European pilots revealed concerning insights into fatigue management within the airline industry. Of the nearly 7000 pilots surveyed, 53% stated that fatigue risks were either "mostly not well managed" or "not well managed" by their airline. Alarmingly, 3 out of 4 pilots reported experiencing at least one microsleep while operating an aircraft in the past four weeks, with 25% of respondents experiencing five or more microsleeps during this period. Additionally, 72.9% of pilots indicated that they did not receive sufficient rest between duties to effectively recover from fatigue.

Meanwhile, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is considering allowing pilot sharing between airline subsidiaries. This so-called “interoperability” would allow pilots to be moved between airlines within the same group – despite oversight challenges and regulatory inconsistencies.

The rise of ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) operators further illustrates this deregulation drive of the past decade. Initially a stopgap for exceptional circumstances, such as replacing a damaged aircraft undergoing repairs, wet-leasing has become a tool for outsourcing entire operations, while avoiding labour protections. Crews are hired via brokers and have no direct employment contracts, tax protections, and basic job security.

Other employment loopholes like Pay-to-Fly (P2F) schemes or (bogus) self-employment further blur the line between legitimate jobs and exploitation. By failing to enforce oversight, the EU is effectively accelerating deregulation.

From training to labour conditions, the trend is unmistakable: the EU Commission has largely supported liberalisation, often under industry pressure. But not always. 

The push for deregulation sometimes came from within the Commission itself.

One of the most contentious issues is foreign ownership and control. While the EU has championed open investment, this has sometimes come at the expense of European aviation. The EU-Qatar open skies agreement, for instance, was presented as a move toward greater competition but has largely benefited Qatar. In reality, air transport agreements with third countries still reflect a strong liberal approach, yet they have made only minimal efforts to safeguard fair competition and uphold EU social standards. As a result, Europe risks further losing control over this strategic sector, potentially compromising connectivity and the retention of skilled workers. 

A sidenote: Former EU transport chief Henrik Hololei, a vocal advocate of foreign airline ownership, is now under investigation for his role in Qatargate, a scandal involving undue Qatari influence over EU policy.

One thing is clear: deregulation isn’t just about cost savings. It fundamentally reshapes industry structure, labour conditions, and safety oversight.

New EU leadership: A chance for reform?

Europe’s shifting political landscape could change aviation’s regulatory course. The dominance of centrist coalitions has fractured, allowing new forces to shape policy. Will they continue down the ultra-liberal path, or wake up to its consequences?

Some key appointments offer hope: Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the new EU Transport Commissioner, has pledged to prioritise safety while balancing industrial policy with social and environmental concerns. Florian Guillermet, the new EASA Executive Director, promises stricter safety oversight under the slogan: “Safe aircraft, safe operations in a safe environment.” María Rueda, Director of Safety Management, is strengthening engagement with industry stakeholders. Raúl Medina, now leading EUROCONTROL, is modernising European airspace, while reinforcing compliance.

A test case: The long-delayed revision of Regulation 1008/2008

The EU Air Services Regulation (Reg. 1008/2008) – which governs operating licenses, route access, and ticket pricing – has been under review for years. Since 2015, multiple studies, impact assessments, and consultations have reached the same conclusion: the regulation urgently needs reform. By delaying its revision, the EU has effectively allowed deregulation to continue unchecked, with all consequences for crew and airlines, which play by the rules.

CEOs like O’Leary will keep pushing for deregulation. They run a business and their focus is not always on the big picture. And the big picture shows that when liberalisation goes unchecked, it can lead to weakened safety, unfair competition, and abusive employment forms. European pilots will push back: pilot associations & ECA will have to work hard in the new political context to convince decision-makers and institutions that fewer rules might mean more competition – and if you ask Michael O’Leary – automatically lead to cheaper tickets. But those should never come at the cost of safety and fair employment. 

by Ignacio Plaza, ECA Secretary General

Article originally published in SEPLA's MATCH82