European Cockpit Association
Encyclopedia
The European Cockpit Association (ECA) is the representative body of 38 national flight crew associations in Europe
, comprising over 38,650 pilots and flight engineers. It operates at European Union
(EU) level.
Since the advent of the Single European Aviation Market, air transport is no longer a purely national domain. European policies are made in all areas of aviation that affect pilots, such as safety, flight crew licensing, air operations, fair competition, international air traffic agreements, air traffic management, aircraft maintenance, employment conditions, etc. In line with its mission statement and aviation safety being its prime concern, ECA strives to ensure safe and sustainable growth of the air transport industry across Europe, based upon clear, harmonised and enforceable rules throughout the EU.
Moreover, since 2000, ECA is a recognised Social Partner in the EU's Sectoral Social Dialogue. This allows us to develop - jointly with European employers' organisations - common positions, recommendations and agreements that can have legally binding effect throughout the EU. An example is the Agreement on Air Crew Working Time. It was developed and signed by ECA and the other European Social Partners and subsequently converted into EU-wide legislation.
All ECA Member Associations are also members of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA). This ensures a close coordination of activities, positions and policy statements. Following the signature in 2003 of a cooperation agreement between ECA and IFALPA (which clarified that pilot representation in Europe is the responsibility of ECA - in cooperation with IFALPA), both organisations took their cooperation an important step further, by signing a comprehensive cooperation agreement in 2006. By means of this agreement, and in addition to its role as an autonomous voice of European pilots, ECA takes on the role of IFALPA's "European region", thereby also representing IFALPA in Europe.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, comprising over 38,650 pilots and flight engineers. It operates at European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU) level.
Mission Statement
"The European Cockpit Association represents the collective interests of its Member Associations at European level, striving for the highest levels of aviation safety and fostering social rights and quality employment for pilots in Europe." Nov. 2006History
The European Cockpit Association (ECA) was created in 1991 and is the representative body of European Flight Crews at European Union (EU) level. It represents over 38,650 European pilots/ flight engineers from the National Flight Crew Associations in 38 European countries.Since the advent of the Single European Aviation Market, air transport is no longer a purely national domain. European policies are made in all areas of aviation that affect pilots, such as safety, flight crew licensing, air operations, fair competition, international air traffic agreements, air traffic management, aircraft maintenance, employment conditions, etc. In line with its mission statement and aviation safety being its prime concern, ECA strives to ensure safe and sustainable growth of the air transport industry across Europe, based upon clear, harmonised and enforceable rules throughout the EU.
Moreover, since 2000, ECA is a recognised Social Partner in the EU's Sectoral Social Dialogue. This allows us to develop - jointly with European employers' organisations - common positions, recommendations and agreements that can have legally binding effect throughout the EU. An example is the Agreement on Air Crew Working Time. It was developed and signed by ECA and the other European Social Partners and subsequently converted into EU-wide legislation.
Members
Since its creation in 1991, ECA's membership has witnessed a steady growth both in numbers and geographical reach - in line with developments in the EU. In May 1998, ECA expanded its membership to pilots from EFTA Countries (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland), followed in 2004 by Flight Crew unions from the new EU Member States (Czech Republic, Poland, Cyprus) and Turkey, as well as from the Balkan and Baltic Region (Croatia, Slovenia, Latvia, FYROM/Macedonia, Serbia & Montenegro) in 2005. In 2006, further pilot associations from Bulgaria and Estonia joined as full members, and the Cockpit Personnel Association of Russia as well as the Georgian Airline Pilots Association joined ECA as its first "associate members". In 2007, the Hungarian pilots' association joined, followed in February 2008 by the Lithuanian and Maltese associations. In November 2008 the associations of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ALPAB) and Montenegro (MonALPA) joined as full members. November 2009 saw the addition of the Romanian association as a full member and the Ukrainian association as an associate member. In the coming years, ECA expects further increase in membership within the wider European region.All ECA Member Associations are also members of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA). This ensures a close coordination of activities, positions and policy statements. Following the signature in 2003 of a cooperation agreement between ECA and IFALPA (which clarified that pilot representation in Europe is the responsibility of ECA - in cooperation with IFALPA), both organisations took their cooperation an important step further, by signing a comprehensive cooperation agreement in 2006. By means of this agreement, and in addition to its role as an autonomous voice of European pilots, ECA takes on the role of IFALPA's "European region", thereby also representing IFALPA in Europe.