Page 5 - 2018-Issue3

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE PAGE 5

President’s Message

At ICAO, IFALPA is also involved in developing a revised Preparation of an Operations
ou are not alone, said Capt. Brendan O’Neal, British Airline Pilots’ Association Exec- Manual to provide our member associations with standardized guidance. We’re also help-
utive Chairman, in a social media message to Ryanair pilots. His words made clear ing to draft operational requirements for volcanic ash hazards, and we submitted for con-
BALPA’s and IFALPA’s support for the pilots, but also captured our Federation’s sideration by ICAO a generic flight data analysis programme agreement to be included in
motto and member advantage. Regardless of the issue, industrial, safety, security,
or pilot assistance, our Federation stands with each of our Member Associations its updated Safety Management Manual.
Yand every IFALPA pilot when he or she flies the line.
IFALPA pilots are also represented on ICAO groups charged with putting together
Ryanair pilots face challenges to be guidance material to support a cargo compartment content hazard risk assessment, which
sure, but they’re moving steadily forward. may become mandatory for airlines as soon as 2020, and new proposed reductions in sepa-
The Master Executive Council of the Ry- ration for oceanic airspace.
anair Transnational Pilot Group held its
inaugural meeting on 8 May. Right now, I’m also pleased to report that IFALPA has taken a key role on ICAO’s new Electronic
the pilots are focused on all aspects of bar- Personnel License Task Force, which kicked off its first meeting in May and began initial
gaining: establishing guiding principles for steps in its mission to address issues such as privacy and cybersecurity. Participating in this
negotiations, building strong bargaining endeavor is only one facet of IFALPA’s cybersecurity work. IFALPA pilots also provided our
teams, and coordinating efforts. As BALPA members’ perspectives during the ICAO Cybersecurity in Civil Aviation Europe, Middle East,
and so many other IFALPA Member Asso- and Africa Summit.
ciations have expressed, our Federation
stands with them in their fight. In setting the stage for the summit, ICAO noted that, previously, cybersecurity was
addressed individually by aircraft manufacturers, air navigation service providers, and op-
Similarly, the Ryanair pilots aren’t erators. The organization’s leaders who attended the summit in Bucharest, Romania under-
alone in their determination to achieve scored something IFALPA pilots already recognize: the airline industry’s reliance on technol-
a fair collective agreement. Brussels Air- ogy and its increasingly interconnected systems heighten the potential for larger and more
lines pilots requested mutual assistance complex cyberattacks. As a result, the type of effective coordination that IFALPA makes
from IFALPA Member Associations during possible and aggressively promotes is essential to meeting the cybersecurity challenge.
their two-day strike in May, and they now
continue negotiating with the company. Another area of concern is safeguarding flight operations over or near conflict zones.
Air France pilots conducted multiple one- Together with the International Air Transport Association, the International Federation of Air
day strikes recently as they also continue Traffic Controllers Associations, and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization, IFALPA
a long fight for a fair contract when their experts contributed to an ICAO manual that presents industry best practices to protect
company is reporting record financial re- against surface-to-air missiles and other deliberate acts and unintentional hazards to civil
sults. In both cases, IFALPA strongly sup- aviation.
ports the pilots.
Finally, at IATA’s recent Annual General Meeting, I took the opportunity to affirm with
The mission of IFALPA is to promote When it comes to safety, our mem- General Secretary Fang Liu of ICAO, our Federation’s strong support of the development
the highest level of aviation safety bers are equally braced by IFALPA’s exper- of sustainable aviation fuels, the gender representation of airline personnel, and the need
worldwide and to be the global advocate tise and resources. The issues range from to attract, educate, train, and retain the next generation of aviation professionals. IFALPA is

of the piloting profession; providing soft ground conditions affecting taxiways firmly focused on safely and efficiently meeting future demand for passenger and cargo air
at Suvarnabhumi International Airport transportation.
representation, services, and support (BKK) to the absence of air traffic control
to both our members and the aviation service around Mogadishu, but regardless It could be a volcanic ash hazard, a cybersecurity threat, or a new management road-
industry. of the location, IFALPA subject-matter ex- block in negotiating a collective agreement, but whatever the issue, with the full force of our
perts ensure that our Federation holds in- Federation behind them, IFALPA Member Associations and pilots are never alone.
fluence and we are fully informed.
Capt. Ron Abel
IFALPA President