Upon the invitation of the Danube Commission, we participated in the Expert Meeting on the Development of Ports and Port Operations in Ruse (Bulgaria). The ETF was represented by Josef Maurer, Head of Aviation and Maritime, as well as Dencho Denchev from our Bulgarian affiliate FTTUB. We were invited to share the workers’ perspective on the conditions for the acceptance of automation and digitalization by port workers.

May 1st is a hard-won symbol of workers’ struggle, solidarity, and collective power – a day carved out of history where labour stops, and dignity is affirmed. Today, that meaning is under attack in France. At this week’s meeting in Nicosia, the ETF Executive Committee expressed its solidarity with our French affiliates and committed to supporting them in defending this fundamental day for workers.

An ETF quick response to the EC ‘AccelerateEU’ communication: The opening line of the EC communication reads: “For the second time in less than five years, the dangers of Europe’s dependency on fossil fuel imports are becoming abundantly clear.” The ETF couldn’t agree more. However, the AccelerateEU communication appears to be yet another example of the EC having learned too little, too late from the previous energy crisis, particularly as far as EU transport policy is concerned.

The ongoing reform of the European Union’s Air Traffic Management (ATM) performance and charging framework has become a central issue in the debate on aviation sustainability and system resilience. In , we highlighted the need for a more balanced and realistic approach to reform – one that safeguards the operational integrity, financial stability, and workforce of the ATM system while contributing meaningfully to environmental objectives. The ETF continues to caution against reforms that prioritise cost-efficiency and traffic growth at the expense of capacity, staffing, and long-term investment, as such an approach risks weakening the very system it seeks to optimise.

Aircrew today do not simply fly across the world; they fly into it. Escalating geopolitical tensions, fragmented airspace, and rapidly shifting threat environments have fundamentally reshaped what it means to operate a flight. From the outside, geopolitical risk can appear abstract – a line on a map, an overflight restriction, a rerouting decision made by operations or security departments. For cabin crew, however, exposure is far more immediate and tangible.

As oil prices surge in the wake of the conflict in the Middle East, creating what the International Energy Agency (IEA) describes as the largest energy shock in history, a coalition of 17 European organisations has issued a joint call on policymakers to urgently act on IEA Recommendation 3: incentivising a shift from private cars to public transport and active mobility.