Staff shortages continue to put peak travel season at risk

London – The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) today said that the failure by governments and industry to address the systemic issues that have made it an unattractive place to work are highly likely to disrupt the supply chain and cause flight delays, airport congestion and beleaguered service levels during the upcoming peak travel season.    On […]


July 10, 2023

Working conditions worsening for 90% of aviation workers globally, new data shows

Survey of over 3,700 aviation workers saw 9 in 10 say the quality of jobs is declining in their industry. –  World’s aviation unions announce findings ahead of the International Civil Aviation Organization Assembly in Montreal. –  International Transport Workers’ Federation formally submits extensive ‘New Deal for Aviation’ plan to tackle travel chaos. Tuesday 27th September 2022. Montreal, […]


September 27, 2022

Airlines used pandemic to erode working conditions for thousands of staff, report finds 

Major airlines used pandemic as an excuse to force workers into contracts with worse terms, new research shows.   Employers including Qantas, Ryanair and British Airways criticised for overzealous cost cutting measures despite airlines receiving USD $137bn in state aid.  Eroded working conditions have led to staffing crises and loss of employee trust, says International Transport Workers’ Federation.    […]


August 26, 2022

Are flight attendants significantly underpaid? The answer is yes (forbes.com)

By James Asquith Many of us see the headlines about cabin crew and pilots voting to take strike action and we are quick to think of our summer holidays being ruined. Ultimately, the most disruptive of the peak time strikes are usually averted, but they certainly get the airlines’ attention. So who is right? The […]


August 18, 2019

Sky high: who’d be an airline pilot today? (theguardian.com)

Every time we fly, we trust our life to a stranger. As well as mechanical failures and disastrous weather, a pilot must be ready to handle stress, terrorism and hours in the air. What kind of person sits inside that locked cockpit? The most striking thing about the conversation was its utter calm. “Mayday, mayday, […]


August 3, 2016

Deregulation has hurt workers the most (nytimes.com)

By Sara Nelson Jobs lost, pay stagnant, slashed pensions and eroded work rules — these are the problems airline workers have shouldered in bearing the brunt of deregulation. Passengers have suffered loss of flight options and a deteriorating travel experience. While deregulation was promoted as a way to increase competition, the opposite has proven true. […]


May 26, 2016

Parat urges Norway to end Qatar Airways’ operations

ITF affiliate Parat in Norway has urged the Norwegian authorities to revoke Qatar Airways’ right to operate flights from the country because the company “systematically undermines the rights of its Parat has long highlighted poor working conditions in Qatar Airways. Its claims have been backed by a new book by Norwegian journalist Pål Vegard Hagesæther, […]


November 3, 2014

A call to the ITF’s European aviation affiliates and workers: Join the ETF’s low fare airlines survey

In the context of an EU-funded project, the ETF Civil Aviation Section has decided to set up an online survey to investigate the evolution of the labour market in the airline industry following the development of low fares airlines. Needless to say that all civil aviation employees are affected by this issue. This online survey […]


February 17, 2014