European Pilots

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European Pilots

We are the voice of European pilots

27/10/2025

“Safety and wellbeing cannot be separated from employment reality.”

Lien Valcke, Ugent 2.0 Researcher, reflect on what we learned from listening to the people who make aviation work: pilots, cabin crew and airlines.

Behind every flight are powerful stories of dedication, but also real challenges: fatigue, short turnarounds, and a growing distance between crews and management.

This study reminds us that when the human dimension is undervalued, safety itself is at risk.

Curious about the key findings?
We’ve put together a short brochure you can read, download, and share. Link in our bio.

16/09/2025

Two is One, One is None. A Navy SEAL principle that aviation lives by.

In the sky, redundancy means safety. Dual engines. Backup systems. And yes, two trained, alert pilots.

Because when the unexpected happens, it’s not tradition that saves lives, it’s teamwork, layered safeguards, and human intuition.

Learn more and join the movement at OneMeansNone.eu

09/09/2025

Here’s some fact about today’s European aviation working conditions:

➡️ 50% of aircrew change jobs because of poor working conditions.
➡️ Atypically employed crew report safety issues far less often.
These are not just statistics, they’re safety red flags.

On 26 September, we’re gathering pilots, cabin crew, regulators, airlines & researchers in Ghent, Belgium, for a landmark conference that looks at where aviation employment is headed.

Who should attend:

✔️ Aircrew who wants to speak up
✔️ Stakeholders who want to network with decision-makers
✔️ Leaders who want to shape the future of aviation
📍 Ghent, Belgium
🗓 26 September
🎟 Seats are limited (approval required*)
💸 Travel & accommodation partly reimbursed

The link to register is in our bio. Check it out.

08/09/2025

Fatigue often creeps in subtly and by the time it’s obvious, it may already be impacting your performance.

So how can you spot the early signs?

A fellow pilot shared the key warning signals that can reveal fatigue before it takes over.

And beyond self-checks, there’s a tool to help:
The Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) — from 1 (extremely alert) to 9 (fighting sleep)

- A score of 7 or higher means you’re too tired to fly safely -

🛫 Don’t brush it off. Report it. Step down if needed.

👉 Check our updated Fatigue Reporting Toolkit (link in bio).

What’s the first sign of fatigue you usually notice?

06/09/2025

This is what happens behind closed cockpit doors.
European pilots told us all.

Straight out of the Social Rating 2024, these quotes from pilots flying for major European airlines reveal a troubling pattern: pressure, retaliation, and disregard for safety, all to keep schedules running.

— What is Commander’s Discretion? —

It’s a rule that allows pilots to extend their legally allowed maximum flight time (FTLs) – but only in exceptional cases like a sudden delay or emergency after reporting for duty.

EU law sets a strict limit: pilots can normally fly up to 13 hours per day. CD allows adding 2 extra hours, but only if it’s safe and truly necessary.

The problem?
Some airlines are pressuring pilots to use CD routinely, turning a last-resort safety rule into a regular scheduling trick. That’s not what it was meant for and it’s not safe.

03/09/2025

Big aviation news just landed in The Guardian!

The latest EASA research confirms what we’ve been saying all along: one pilot in the cockpit is NOT as safe as two.

ECA has campaigned against single-pilot operations for years, reaching thousands of passengers and aircrew. This is an important step forward, but the work isn’t done: we remain vigilant, engaged with regulators, and committed to making sure passenger safety is never sacrificed for commercial convenience.

👉 Read the full Guardian article: check our bio, or comment “2PILOTS” and we’ll send it straight to your inbox.

02/09/2025

Digital apps can support pilots & crew, but your data must remain yours.

From health monitoring to wellbeing tools, new technologies promise support. But without clear standards, protections, and the right to opt out, they risk turning into tools of surveillance instead of safety.

As ECA President Tanja Harter reminds us: “Flight crews need to be mindful of the possible implications as well as the use that is made with their data.”

👉 Read our full position paper. Link in our bio and stories

25/08/2025

AI is transforming aviation, but can it ever replace human intuition, trust, and creativity?

This week, the EASA Artificial Intelligence Conference brings the industry together to discuss the future of AI in aviation.

At ECA, we have prepared a Position Paper that dives into how AI should be developed, used, and regulated, ensuring safety, trust, and the irreplaceable role of pilots remain at the center.

Coming soon.

👉 What do you think: Where should we draw the line between human skills and AI in the cockpit?

Let us know in the comments section!

21/08/2025

Two pilots and one mission: safer skies.

In aviation, redundancy isn’t optional, it’s ESSENCIAL.

That’s why we fly with two trained, alert, and collaborative pilots in the flight desk.

From high-pressure decisions to mid-flight failures, their teamwork is what keeps aviation one of the safest industries in the world.

Learn more and join the movement at OneMeansNone.eu

20/08/2025

How do we stop airlines from stretching safety to the breaking point?

Commander’s Discretion was built for the unexpected, not as a tool to patch poor planning.

When it’s misused, it pushes pilots beyond safe limits.
It’s time to reclaim it for what it really is: a safeguard, not a shortcut.

✈

13/08/2025

✈️ How do we stop airlines from abusing Commander’s Discretion?

Here’s how 👇

1️⃣ Say NO — If it’s a clear misuse, don’t accept it.

2️⃣ Know your rights — Discretion is voluntary, not mandatory.

3️⃣ Report pressure to use Discretion — To your national authority, or if you don’t trust them, report directly to EASA via the Confidential Safety Reporting (CSR) tool

4️⃣ Talk about it — Open conversations break the pressure and the stigma.

11/08/2025

As a licensed pilot, you are legally obligated to report fatigue.
Whether it’s a one-time incident or a systemic issue, speak up.

To support you in fulfilling your reporting obligation, ECA has updated our Fatigue Reporting Toolkit with tips on the DOs & DON’Ts when filling in a report. Only a well-written report will have an impact and change things.

👉 Click the link in our bio to access helpful materials for fatigue reporting.

Adres

Rue D'Arlon 50
Brussels
1000

Telefoon

0032 2 705 32 93

Website

http://www.eurocockpit.eu/, http://www.eppsi.eu/, http://www.becomingapilot.eu/

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