Welcome to BALPA, the British Airline Pilots Association, the professional association and registered trade union established to represent the interests of all UK pilots.

Whether you fly single engine piston aircraft, helicopters or intercontinental jets you can find a home at BALPA. We welcome all flightcrew into our family.

Our vision of ‘Making Every Flight a Safe Flight’ is at the very core of everything we do and has been since those early days of aviation when BALPA was established. The Flight Time Limitation challenges that bought about the birth of BALPA all those years ago are just as big a threat to flight safety now.

Supporting Flight Safety as our number one priority, the BALPA ‘Pilots Charter’ outlines the responsibilities of flightcrew and demonstrates the professional approach pilots take to maintain high safety standards regardless of external pressures.

We are proud to be a professional body, with experts in all facets of the aviation industry, here to assist our members from the first dream of becoming a pilot to well into their retirement.

BALPA works with the UK Civil Aviation Authority, within the corridors of Westminster, government departments and other professional bodies where the voice of ‘the pilot' is needed.

By representing flightcrew in 26 different companies; from legacy carrier to low cost, from charter to executive jets, from search & rescue to flying instructors, we use all available resources to protect and enhance the terms and conditions of our members.

And with our partners in Europe through the European Cockpit Association, and worldwide through the International Federation of Airline Pilots, you couldn’t be better connected with the issues that globally affect our profession.

Our international partners provide you with the added comfort of knowing that, wherever you fly in the world, you have support from someone you can trust.

Join BALPA today and together we will keep the reasons you choose flying as your chosen career a reality.