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BALPA wants to see a thriving future for the aviation sector in the UK, one that provides jobs for our members and mobility for our population.

Yet we are in the midst of a climate crisis and have a moral and legal obligation to ensure our future is a sustainable one. A careful balance needs to be struck.

To achieve further carbon savings in a timely way an unprecedented rate of change and innovation is required. It is imperative that the UK Government act quickly and decisively to place the UK at the forefront of this change and avert the risk of enforced limits on flying.

In the short term, we should focus on issues that quickly improve sustainability without undue burden on a recovering industry, especially mitigating the non-CO2 effects that aviation has on global warming. BALPA sits on the Jet Zero Council Non-CO2 Task & Finish Group and hopes to add its practical operational experience to the Government’s research into the area.

While the Government’s Jet Zero Strategy lays out a credible pathway to decarbonising the aviation sector, one which we support, many unknowns remain.

Our response to the Jet Zero Strategy can be found here.

How to make contrails a success

Contrail management represents one of the most immediate and effective opportunities to reduce aviation’s climate impact. This webinar, featuring BALPA flight safety rep Stu Clarke, explores how contrail management can be integrated safely and pragmatically into everyday operations.

BALPA’s Position

Our key recommendations to UK Government are:

Take rapid action in areas that have immediate effects such as contrail avoidance and work with unions to identify airline operational efficiencies
Make additional substantial investments to ensure the UK is at the forefront of technological change in aircraft design, power plant design, SAF technology and renewable energy generation. The 10% mandate for Sustainable Aviation Fuels by 2030 is a welcome initial step, but does not go far enough and must be increased.
Enhance the UK’s Emissions Trading Scheme to incentivise airlines to address non-CO2 effects of aviation and create an investment case for greater use of SAF
Draw upon the massive body of knowledge and practical experience built up by UK’s flight crew and use it to inform and improve the Jet Zero Strategy
Campaign via ICAO to strengthen CORSIA and widen its remit to include non-CO2 effects
Work closely with EASA and the EU to ensure our regulations remain compatible with Europe’s – and at least as ambitious – to provide security for operators and ensure a level playing field

BALPA’s response to the Jet Zero Strategy can be found here.

Our interim environment position paper (published prior to the Jet Zero Strategy’s publication) sets out in more detail what we believe must be done to achieve these goals.

More Campaigns.

Fighting pilot fatigue

Research has long shown that fatigue impairs alertness, slows reaction times and weakens decision making, so for pilots, managing fatigue risk is critical to flight safety.

Reduced Crew Operations: #SafetyStartsWith2

Safety Starts With 2 BALPA pilots believe the safety of every airline flight always starts with at least two well trained, qualified and rested pilots on the flight deck. Removing pilots from the flight deck is a gamble with safety. That is why BALPA is joining pilots from around the globe to engage in a […]

Environment and Sustainability

BALPA wants to see a thriving future for the aviation sector in the UK, one that provides jobs for our members and mobility for our population. Yet we are in the midst of a climate crisis and have a moral and legal obligation to ensure our future is a sustainable one.

Maternity Pay for Female Pilots

For women, the viability and attractiveness of a career as a pilot is significantly affected by the ability to balance working as a pilot with maternity and childcare commitments. At its most fundamental level lies the issue of maternity pay. The financial support available to a woman following the birth of her child has a […]

Pilot Pensions

Pilots feel the current pension system – including the existing tax relief framework – works. They want stability and fear any changes could undermine the system and put people off saving for their future.

Protecting Pilot Mental Health

In the awake of the Germanwings tragedy there has been huge media interest in the topic of pilot health. It’s a topic BALPA takes seriously and is working to address. BALPA understands the need to ensure those suffering mental health issues, who are in safety critical jobs, must be identified, given support and monitored to ensure they do not pose a safety risk.

nextGen – Aspiring & Trainee Pilots

For many, becoming a pilot is a dream harboured from a young age. The British Airline Pilots’ Association’s aim is to ensure it remains a great profession and one that anyone can aspire to and achieve. But becoming a pilot takes real determination and there are some huge challenges that aspiring pilots need to be aware of. BALPA has set up the nextGen programme to help protect the profession by reaching down to these new entrants and giving them a voice.