Please fill in this survey! It will help us to get a better understanding of the levels of fatigue in European aviation this summer – and how it is managed by your airlines. And it will help us to pinpoint to EASA – the European Aviation Safety Agency – and to national authorities where

5 years in court. €400,000 awarded. Nothing paid. This is the story of 11 Bluebird Nordic pilots who were fired and replaced by self-employed crew. Despite pilots winning court case after court case, Bluebird Nordic – formerly part of Avia Solutions Group – evaded paying. Impunity by the

From aviation safety standards to crew working conditions to cybersecurity, ECA shapes the policy debates that affect the people who fly Europe's planes – and we're looking for a communications strategist to make sure pilots’ voices are heard.

On the morning of 24 November 2025, a SmartLynx employee reached her colleagues by text. Management had summoned staff to the canteen at the Riga headquarters. Rumors of financial trouble had been circulating internally for months, but nobody seemed to know what was actually going to be

We are deeply worried about the fact that agreements that enable pilots to contribute to flight safety work on behalf of their pilot union have been cancelled or are currently not respected.

We, the undersigned European social partners of civil aviation, representing both employers and employees in the wider civil aviation sector, wish to reiterate our serious concern regarding the EU-Qatar Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement.

Every day, pilots across Europe face challenges that go far beyond the flight deck.

From supportive environments & strong corporate safety cultures to unstable contracts and constant commercial pressure, each experience tells part of a bigger story about aviation safety.
 

Brussels | Ghent 1 Oct 2025 – A pilot or cabin crew’s contract shouldn’t be a safety risk but too often, it still is. A major new EU study warns that precarious jobs in aviation are undermining both the well-being of crew and the safety culture of airlines. Ten years after Ghent University

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