European Pilots

European Pilots We are the voice of European pilots

03/06/2026

A pilot flying across Europe for just €1,000 a month? Cabin crew working full-time for €300? It sounds impossible but it’s happening, right now, through wet-leasing.

Wet-leasing, or ACMI, lets airlines rent planes and crew from other operators. It’s legal. And it’s on the rise. But too often, it’s abused by turning aircrew into disposable labour.
At the European Cockpit Association, we’ve spent the past three years uncovering what really happens behind these contracts.

Our Policy Advisor, Anastasiia Prychta, has been speaking to pilots, discussing with authorities and analysing flight data across Europe. What she’s found is deeply troubling.

Pilots hired as fake freelancers.
No sick leave.
No pension.
No job security.

Worse still, many of these workers aren’t even properly registered as posted workers — even though EU law says they should be.

The result? Legal grey zones. Rights denied. Uninterested authorities. A quiet race to the bottom in European aviation.

We’ve put the data on a dashboard. We’ve named the trends. We’ve sounded the alarm.

Now we’re asking the aviation community & decision-makers in Europe to take notice.

Did you know that pilots working in ACMI are around 17 times more likely to be in atypical employment than pilots at tra...
21/05/2026

Did you know that pilots working in ACMI are around 17 times more likely to be in atypical employment than pilots at traditional network airlines?

ACMI (“Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance & Insurance”) has become a major part of the aviation industry but behind the business model are growing concerns around job insecurity, fatigue, mental health, and workers’ ability to speak up.

Our latest carousel breaks down the numbers behind wet leasing and what they mean for aviation workers. (Source: UGent study)

Link in bio.

Being a young pilot often means starting your career in a low-cost carrier or a wet-lease airline. And it is where they ...
14/05/2026

Being a young pilot often means starting your career in a low-cost carrier or a wet-lease airline. And it is where they face higher pressure regarding rostering, mobility and contract stability.

Findings from the EASA Article 89 Survey and UGent 2.0 Study links younger or early-career personnel to greater exposure to precarious conditions, lower reporting confidence in some groups, and specific challenges around work-life balance and integration into the profession.

What young pilots need is:
✈️ stronger support
✈️ training and greater confidence

Explore the path to becoming a pilot:
becomingapilot.eu

From pay-to-fly schemes to zero-hour contracts and wet-lease loopholes, atypical employment is on the rise. Research fro...
05/05/2026

From pay-to-fly schemes to zero-hour contracts and wet-lease loopholes,
atypical employment is on the rise.

Research from the Karolinska Institute, UGent Study 2.0, and the EASA Article 89 study points to the same reality: less stability, less reporting, and more pressure.

Aircrew deserve stability, safety, and respect.

So how do we get there?

26/04/2026

Behind the cockpit door, there’s a responsibility most people never see.

And in the cabin, there’s a simple message pilots don’t hear often enough.

Today, we brought both together.

Happy World Pilots’ Day. 🧑🏻‍✈️👩🏻‍✈️

Featured in this video:
• Captain OIli Jaarinen, ECA Technical Affairs Director
• First Officer Rui Silva (APPLA)
• First Officer Moritz Bürger (VCOCKPIT)

mong all Ryanair Group airlines, none has reached a 60% satisfaction rate among pilots.Are you a pilot at one of these a...
22/04/2026

mong all Ryanair Group airlines, none has reached a 60% satisfaction rate among pilots.

Are you a pilot at one of these airlines? What do you think could improve your work experience?

Check out the full Social Rating results—link in our bio.

In aviation, your career can span decades, yet not every airline offers a lifetime journey. Some airlines are merely see...
16/04/2026

In aviation, your career can span decades, yet not every airline offers a lifetime journey. Some airlines are merely seen as “stepping stones” - places where young pilots quickly build flight hours to then move on to better opportunities.

Comments from pilots submitted for our Social Rating show that Ryanair, Wizz Air, DHL, easyJet and Malta Air are such examples.

Aviation careers deserve stability. Choose wisely and shape your lifelong flight path.

🚀 Where did you start your career? Share your experience in the comments!

If the technology exists, why are we still reacting instead of anticipating?Live turbulence data, continuous weather upd...
13/04/2026

If the technology exists, why are we still reacting instead of anticipating?
Live turbulence data, continuous weather updates.. The tools are already there.

So why isn’t it standard yet?

See what this means for pilots and operations. Link in bio.

Low-cost carriers sometimes face criticism for their no-frills approach, even towards their pilots and cabin crew. Howev...
09/04/2026

Low-cost carriers sometimes face criticism for their no-frills approach, even towards their pilots and cabin crew. However, our Social Rating (2024) showed that budget-friendly doesn’t always mean poor working conditions. Here are some standout examples:

Transavia: Achieved the highest score among low-cost airlines (90%), proving that being low-cost and a responsible employer are not mutually exclusive.

Vueling: Despite challenges in certain areas, Vueling maintains a high satisfaction score of 82%.

easyJet: Scored 78%, with pilots acknowledging it as a good long-term career option, though there are calls for improvements in pay and rostering.

Are you a pilot at one of these airlines? Do these scores reflect your experience? Share your thoughts with us!

European rules exist, but without cross-border enforcement, they’re just words. ECA and ETF submitted the case to ELA - ...
31/03/2026

European rules exist, but without cross-border enforcement, they’re just words.

ECA and ETF submitted the case to ELA - covering declaration of work issues, bogus self-employment, posting issues

This resulted in at least two joint inspections.
Change is possible through joint forces.

Adres

Rue D'Arlon 50
Brussels
1000

Telefoon

0032 2 705 32 93

Website

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

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