Our Work

What the coalition works on

Working to provide the best solutions in advocacy for Oneworld Pilots: safety first, and a fair, sustainable profession alongside it.

Featured resourceThe two-pilot flight deckWhy the coalition opposes reduced crew and single-pilot operations, with the external sources behind the debate.

Our Core Mission

Safety Advocacy

Developing and promoting best practices and policies to enhance aviation safety worldwide to reach 'one level of safety'.

Upholding Professionalism

Promoting fair standards, fostering accountability, and consistently demonstrating a high standard of behavior, skills, and ethics.

Social Sustainability

Creating healthy, fair, and resilient communities where people can thrive now and in the future.

Mutual Aid

Working together, supporting each other, and sharing resources to tackle challenges and protect our rights.

Fair Labor Practices

Protecting workers' rights, providing safe working conditions, and ensuring fair wages to foster skill and respect.

Education

Sharing best practices through benchmarking and information sharing to identify successful strategies and compare performance.

Key flight safety & industrial concerns:

For pilots, social sustainability means working in a profession where contributions are valued, health and safety are prioritized, with respect and fairness, ensuring duties are performed effectively and sustainably.

Supporting material

European Commission

Social issues in the air transport sector(opens in a new tab)

Policy background on aircrew working conditions, social protections, and cross-border employment challenges.

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A DANGEROUS IDEA: Removing Pilots from the Flight Deck

RCO: Reduced Crew Operations
SiPPO: Single Pilots Passenger Operations
eMCO: Extended Minimum Crew

Supporting material

European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)

eMCO–SiPO safety risk assessment(opens in a new tab)

Within the limits of the research, equivalent safety between extended minimum-crew operations and current two-pilot operations could not be sufficiently demonstrated using current cockpit designs.

Social Sustainability

Supporting material

European Commission

Social issues in the air transport sector(opens in a new tab)

Policy background on aircrew working conditions, social protections, and cross-border employment challenges.

Atypical Employment

Atypical employment models for airline pilots lead to abuse in several ways, primarily through the erosion of pilot rights, compromised safety, and negative socioeconomic impacts related to reduced job security, poor pay and benefits, high Out-of-Pocket Costs & Pressure to Accept Unfavorable Terms.

Supporting material

European Cockpit Association (ECA)

Atypical employment(opens in a new tab)

Pilot-association position on employment models, pilot rights, and potential safety impacts. ECA notes that atypical employment is not necessarily illegal.

Flags of Convenience

Flags of convenience (FOCs) lead to significant abuse and societal harm:

Erosion of Safety Standards: FOC airlines might operate under lax regulatory oversight, compromising oversight, rest requirements, and overall safety protocols, increasing the risk of accidents.
Exploitation of Pilots: Pilots working for FOC-registered airlines face reduced wages, poor working conditions, and minimal job protections, as these airlines operate under weaker labor laws from the flag country that the airline does not actually operate in.
Job Insecurity: Pilots face precarious employment arrangements, such as freelance or agency contracts, as FOC carriers prioritize cost-saving measures over stable, direct employment.
Accountability Challenges: When incidents occur, pilots employed by FOC airlines often struggle with unclear legal protections, as the chain of responsibility is obscured by complex ownership and registration structures.
Undermining Professional Standards: FOC practices encourage a "race to the bottom," where pilots in non-FOC airlines are pressured to accept worse conditions as FOC airlines grow.

These practices harm the aviation profession, undermine pilot well-being, and pose risks to public safety.

Supporting material

Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA)

Protect U.S. workers in international aviation agreements(opens in a new tab)

Pilot-association position on regulatory forum-shopping and labor protections. These concerns address particular business practices, not all foreign carriers.

Cabotage

Cabotage in the airline industry refers to the right of a foreign airline to operate domestic flights within another country. Here's why cabotage is contentious for pilots:

Loss of National Control: Allowing foreign airlines to operate domestically can limit a country's ability to enforce labor laws and maintain oversight of safety and training requirements.
Precarious Employment: Domestic airlines may adopt atypical employment practices, such as outsourcing to foreign carriers, further destabilizing continuity of professional standards.
Job Displacement: Foreign airlines operating domestic routes may employ pilots from countries with lower wages, reducing opportunities for local pilots to work in their home country.
Wage Suppression: Competition from foreign pilots earning lower salaries pressures domestic airlines to reduce wages and benefits for their pilots.
Erosion of Standards: Foreign airlines may follow less stringent labor and safety regulations, creating a disparity in working conditions and undermining local standards.

Supporting material

U.S. Department of Transportation

Cabotage enforcement order (PDF, 2012)(opens in a new tab)

This order explains cabotage and U.S. legal restrictions; it does not establish every employment or safety consequence listed above. Foreign-carrier status alone does not establish weaker safety or labor standards.

Coalition statements in News & Resources