The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) is the

professional association A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) is a group that usually seeks to advocacy, further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in ...

and registered

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

for UK pilots. BALPA represents the views and interests of pilots, campaigning on contractual, legal and health issues affecting its members and the flying public.

Membership and governance

BALPA represents 85% of all commercial pilots in the UK and represents over 10,000 members. These include helicopter winchmen and ground instructors. The association holds the largest collective resource of pilot qualification and experience in the UK. BALPA is one of the founder members of the International Federation of Airline Pilots Associations ( IFALPA), which co-ordinates the views and opinions of well over 100,000 flight crew around the globe. In Europe, BALPA is a founding member of ECA, the

European Cockpit Association The European Cockpit Association (ECA) is a trade union that represents European Pilot (aircraft), pilots. It has pursued the improvement of aviation policies to the benefit of its members, and has frequently spoken out in length on topics such as ...

. BALPA also works with the Civil Aviation Authority, the Department for Transport, the Department of Trade and Industry and many other bodies where pilots have an interest in being represented. BALPA is governed by an Annual Delegate Conference (ADC) made up of representatives of the Company Councils and a National Executive Committee (NEC) composed of elected pilots. As well as generating policy and association strategy, the NEC ensures that the organization is run in an efficient, legal and responsible manner. In December 2023 it was announced that a new General Secretary was appointed following an "extensive and exhaustive recruitment process", resulting in the first woman to be elected into the role in BALPA's history.

Structure

BALPA has recognition agreements with airlines in multiple sectors. BALPA members in each of these companies elect a Company Council that leads a community of members. There are eleven sub-committees of the NEC; Flight Safety and Security, Accident Analysis and Prevention, Air Traffic Services Study Group, Ops Aviation Medicine Group, Occupational Health and Safety Group, Aircraft Design & Operations/Aircraft Ground Environment, Security Group, Fatigue and Scheduling Group, Helicopter Affairs Committee, Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Work Group and Retired Flight Crew Committee.

Membership

To qualify for Full Membership applicants must hold a current professional pilot licence or

flight engineer A flight engineer (FE), also sometimes called an air engineer, is a member of an aircraft's flight crew who is responsible for monitoring and operating its complex aircraft systems. In the early era of aviation, the position was sometimes referr ...

licence issued by the UK or one of the JAA countries, be engaged in British commercial flying and be based in the UK or employed by a UK Company abroad. Alternatively members may qualify as a ground instructor or helicopter winchman employed in British commercial flying. There are also membership categories available for overseas, retired, military, unemployed and trainee pilots.

Industrial Activity

BALPA campaigns on a wide variety of issues which affect pilots and the flying public.

Air Passenger Duty

Air Passenger Duty (APD) is the UK Government tax that is charged on all passengers departing from a UK airport. BALPA is an active member of the A Fair Tax on Flying campaign, a coalition of more than 30 leading travel and aviation organisations including airlines, airports, trade associations and destinations who believe that APD is too high and is doing growing damage to jobs, growth and the UK economic recovery.

Casualisation

Casualisation and the use of contract labour is a growing issue in the aviation industry. BALPA has been campaigning on this issue and have had success in formulating a New Entrant Contract that delivers significant improvements to those entering the profession at EasyJet. Driving casualisation out of the whole industry remains one of BALPA's key priorities. As part of its campaign to combat the growing use of contingent workers in the aviation industry, BALPA commissioned the Labour Research Department (LRD) in 2012 to work with the union to produce a booklet focusing on the use of contingent workers in airlines where BALPA is recognised. The booklet highlights the legal framework, in particular the Agency Workers Regulations, which became law in October 2011.

Flight Time Limitations

Flight Time Limitations exist to ensure the safe operation of commercial aircraft and to avoid the onset of pilot fatigue. Pilot fatigue is a state of serious tiredness and exhaustion that reduces a pilots ability to operate safely. 15-20% of fatal accidents related to human errors have listed pilot fatigue as a contributing factor. BALPA has continuously sought to protect high safety standards of Flight Time Limitations in the UK.

British Airways "Fire and Rehire" dispute

In summer of 2020, British Airways and its parent company International Airline Group announced a restructuring programme that included up to 12,000 redundancies, including 1,255 pilots. BALPA members eventually accepted a deal that included a temporary 20% pay cut and a reduced number (270) of compulsory redundancies.

In popular culture

BALPA was featured in the ''

Monty Python's Flying Circus ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' (also known as simply ''Monty Python'') is a British surreal humour, surreal sketch comedy series created by and starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Terry Gilliam, w ...

'' television episode "

Déjà Vu ''Déjà vu'' ( , ; "already seen") is the phenomenon of feeling like one has lived through the present situation in the past.Schnider, Armin. (2008). ''The Confabulating Mind: How the Brain Creates Reality''. Oxford University Press. pp. 167–1 ...

" in which

Eric Idle Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943) is an English actor, comedian, songwriter, musician, screenwriter and playwright. He was a member of the British comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band the Rutles. Idle studied English at Pembroke Co ...

portrays the BALPA spokesman in the 'Flying Lessons' sketch.

References

External links

British Airline Pilots' Association websiteCatalogue of the BALPA archives
held at the

Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick The Modern Records Centre (MRC) is the specialist archive service of the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, located adjacent to the Central Campus Library. It was established in October 1973 and holds the world's largest archive collect ...

{{Authority control Transport trade unions in the United Kingdom Aviation organisations based in the United Kingdom European Cockpit Association Airline pilots' trade unions International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations 1937 establishments in the United Kingdom Organizations established in 1937 Trade unions based in London Trade unions affiliated with the Trades Union Congress Trade unions affiliated with the Scottish Trades Union Congress