No more crisis management at workers’ expense: European aviation must break the cycle

The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) released a statement today, calling on airlines, governments and European institutions to end a recurring and  damaging pattern in times of crisis: prioritising short-term fixes  at the expense of workers, resilience, and long-term recovery of the sector. 

As European aviation faces renewed pressure from rising fuel prices and airspace disruptions, ETF warns that the sector risks falling back into familiar habits: grounding aircraft, reducing capacity, and cutting labour costs. While such measures may provide temporary relief, experience shows they ultimately weaken the industry by driving away skilled professionals, worsening working conditions, and delayin recovery. 

“Aviation has proven time and again that it can recover from crises, from the September 11 attacks to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Josef Maurer, Head of Aviation at the ETF. “But what continues to hold the sector back is not the crises themselves – it is how we respond to them.” 

Workforce reductions and hiring freezes during previous disruptions have contributed directly to today’s staff shortages, particularly among aircrew and air traffic management. With new capacity cuts already being considered by some airlines, ETF cautions that aviation professionals are once again at risk of bearing the brunt of the response. 

At the same time, deeper structural challenges undermine fairness and resilience in European aviation. These include regulatory and labour “forum shopping” within the EU Single Market, unequal global competition  and the ongoing impact of geopolitical measures linked to the Russo-Ukrainian War, which continue to disadvantage European airlines. 

These crises do not occur in isolation and must be addressed through coordinated, long-term action. ETF therefore calls for: 

• Airlines to prioritise stable employment, invest in workforce retention and skills, and ensure fair crisis-response measures 

• National governments to strengthen labour protections, enforce existing rules, and prevent regulatory arbitrage 

• European institutions to restore a level playing field, ensure fair global competition, and develop tools to protect jobs in times of crisis 

The full text of the statement can be found here. It follows the ETF letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that can be found here. 

To support workers and unions, ETF has developed a dedicated crisis preparedness toolkit for trade unions and worker representatives aimed at anticipating disruptions while safeguarding employment and working conditions. More information on the toolkit and available language versions can be downloaded here.