On the 7th of December 2009, Paul Bishop of DHL Air Ltd and Jim McAuslan of the British Air Line Pilots' Association agreed a roadmap whereby there will be a formal recognition agreement between BALPA and DHL.

Both sides wish to see an appropriate Recognition Agreement that is modern and will tackle the specific issues confronting the DHL operation. Three steps to establishing that Recognition Agreement with a linked timetable have been set:

Step 1: By 15 January 2010, BALPA will organise and hold an election of an “Interim Company Council” comprising of five line pilots who are BALPA members. DHL Air Ltd encourages members to step forward and sees the filling of these roles as a worthwhile activity and of value to establishing a good relationship. BALPA commits to supporting volunteers with training and professional support. Both sides see this step as critical in shaping the right tone and direction for our future relationship.

Step 2: Thirty days thereafter the interim BALPA Company Council and DHL Air Ltd will engage ACAS, or such other independent organisation as agreed, to conduct a survey of all line pilots to identify both what should be addressed in a recognition agreement and the priority issues that need to be addressed in the ongoing relationship. The step is necessary to reflect as far as possible the breadth of opinion and attitudes that exist amongst the pilot workforce

Step 3: Within a further thirty days the parties will produce a draft recognition agreement which will be put to all pilots for endorsement.

BALPA General Secretary Jim McAuslan said: “The past few months have seen a great deal of debate and discussion over the events which unfolded during the summer.
 
"All parties (pilots, DHL and BALPA) now need to move forward and get on with the work of building good industrial relations, based on a relationship of mutual understanding and respect."