Chairman's Welcome

BALPA’s Chairman is pleased to welcome you aboard our website

Whether you fly long-haul around the world, take an internal UK flight, travel once a year on holiday or flit to Europe on business, if you use a British airline it is likely that BALPA members will be taking you safely to your destination.

BALPA represents well over 75% of all the fixed wing pilots and helicopter aircrew based in the UK - as well as many working overseas. We have a membership of over 10,000 professional flight crew, working in companies large and small.

Together we are united in the interests of British Airline Pilots

We have over 120 working pilots who come forward and work as ‘Representatives’ for the association. These ‘reps’ work on issues within the airline they work for, issues that span all airlines and indeed issues that may affect you as a member of the traveling public.

Broadly speaking the issues split into two categories - Professional Affairs and Flight Safety. We have a permanent staff of over 40 people who are based at BALPA House who are specialists within these two categories and support the 120 representative pilots in their work.

BALPA works with the Civil Aviation Authority, the Department for Transport, the Department of Trade and Industry and many other bodies where the voice of ‘the pilot' is needed. We also work with over 20 different airlines to secure and maintain the terms and conditions of our members.

Much of our representative work is done outside the UK. BALPA was one of the founder members of IFALPA, the International Federation of Airline Pilots Associations, which co-ordinates the views and opinions of well over 100,000 flight crew around the globe. We continue to take a leading role in this organisation, particularly in formulating policy at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in Montreal.

In Europe, BALPA was a founding member of ECA, the European Cockpit Association. Through this body, and in concert with other European flight crew organisations, we present our members’ views to the European Union.

Enjoy your flight with us.