24Hr emergency line +44 (0)20 8476 4099
Join Balpa

The Voice of UK Pilots: Safety, Strength, Unity.

BALPA is the voice of pilots across the UK, providing you support, guidance and a community

More than 85% of UK Pilots On Board.

We’re here to help & advise at every stage of your career Discover our memberships

Improving Industry Standards.

From Brexit’s impact on aviation, to flight safety and sustainability, we campaign on behalf of all UK pilots Explore our campaigns

BECOMING A PILOT THE INSIDE TRACK

BALPA stands as the primary representation for UK pilots. Explore our comprehensive and dedicated guide on the path to becoming a pilot. Find out more about becoming a pilot
About BALPA

The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) is the professional association and registered trade union established to represent the interests of all UK pilots.

We represent over 10,000 pilots and are recognised in 20 different companies; that’s over 85% of all commercial pilots flying in the UK. The association holds the largest collective resource of commercial pilot qualification and experience in the UK.

85%
Of Commercial uk pilots are balpa Members
20
Recognised in 20 companies
50 million +
Our members have flown more than 50 million hours
Learn more about us
What we do

As the voice of pilots, BALPA actively campaigns to achieve and maintain the best possible working conditions and safety standards for all UK pilots.

We are run by pilots for pilots and have expert staff and resources on hand to provide legal advice and representation, industrial support, to scrutinise and highlight flight safety, provide advice on employment issues and offer personal support.

By joining BALPA you’re joining the UK’s biggest and most active community of fellow pilots, that uses its well established links to ensure your voice is heard by MPs, airlines and regulators.

Our Campaigns

Why Join as a Member?

  • Legal representation
  • Industrial support: have a say on pay and benefits
  • Career management advice and bespoke resources
  • Access to BALPA website, portal and apps
  • Access to BALPA publications including newsletters and The Log magazine

Latest News & Views.

News

Budget “bad news” for aviation industry, says BALPA

26 Nov 2025

The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) today condemned Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves’ Budget as “bad news for the aviation industry”. The budget raises Air Passenger Duty (APD), which BALPA says will hit families going on holiday the hardest. It also makes no provision to address the UK’s urgent need to train new pilots. […]

Read more
News

Heathrow third runway announcement excellent news for UK aviation

25 Nov 2025

The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) has today (Tuesday) welcomed the government’s decision to award the contract to build a third runway at Heathrow. BALPA also called on the government to think creatively about pilot training now to ensure maximum benefits of this expansion in the future. The union, which represents over 10,000 pilots across […]

Read more
News

BALPA’s pre-Budget message to Rachel Reeves: Support growth in aviation

24 Nov 2025

The union – which represents over 10,000 UK pilots – warns that pilot training, currently costing over £100,000, is unaffordable for many young people today. This means there will not be enough UK-trained pilots to fill airline vacancies in the future. BALPA is also calling on the government to support the development of sustainable aviation […]

Read more
News

BALPA intervention over Heathrow Airport third runway

20 Nov 2025

BALPA General Secretary Amy Leversidge has written to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander urging her to “future-proof” plans for Heathrow’s third runway.   In the letter, Leversidge urged the Secretary of State to ensure that the winning bid provides sufficient additional capacity and flexibility to protect the airport against any future need for expansion.  There are currently […]

Read more
News

BALPA response to Kentucky plane crash

05 Nov 2025

Our thoughts are with the victims and those who lost loved ones in the aircraft accident at Louisville Muhammad Ali airport in Kentucky, and we wish a speedy recovery to those who were injured. As with any accident, we caution against speculation about potential causes. It is important that the accident investigation team are able […]

Read more
News

BALPA welcomes Keir Mather to Aviation Minister role  

26 Sep 2025

BALPA, the union for UK airline pilots, has welcomed the appointment of Keir Mather to the position of Aviation Minister.   Amy Leversidge, BALPA General Secretary, said: “We welcome Keir Mather to his new role as the UK’s Aviation Minister. “This is an exciting time in aviation. Airport expansion will unlock economic growth and deliver […]

Read more
News

BALPA welcomes government’s Gatwick second runway announcement

22 Sep 2025

BALPA, the airline pilots’ union, today welcomed Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander’s approval for a second runway at Gatwick airport, and called for further investment in aviation. Amy Leversidge, BALPA General Secretary, said, “This is good news for pilots and passengers. Bringing Gatwick’s Northern Runway into full use will create jobs locally and across the country. […]

Read more

Thinking About Becoming a Pilot?

Read the comprehensive guide on what it takes to become a pilot, and the main obstacles to consider.

We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. View more
Cookies settings
Accept
Privacy & Cookie policy
Privacy & Cookies policy
Cookie name Active
Save settings
Cookies settings