- British Airline Pilots' Association
- West Drayton, Greater London
The British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA) was established by Eric Lane-Burslem, a pilot with Imperial Airways, after serious flying incidents and the airline's irresponsible attitude prompted him to found an association of pilots to support a proper level of pilot and passenger safety. An organising committee meeting, led by Imperial Airways pilots, and a mass meeting of nearly 400 pilots were held at Croydon in 1937. In order to influence parliamentary aviation debates BALPA later appointed John Cavendish, 4th Baron Chesham, as president and airline director Jeffery Amherst, 5th Earl Amherst, as vice-president, and in 1943 BALPA affiliated to the Trades Union Congress and negotiated a new contract for BOAC pilots, which made them the first employees anywhere to receive an occupational pension. Between 1947 and 1966 BALPA membership rose from 1,000 to over 3,000, reflecting the huge increase in air travel in the 1950s and 1960s. With structural changes in the industry in the 1970s and 1980s, including the formation of British Airways, BALPA became an association for all UK commercial pilots, not just those of specific airlines. Virgin Atlantic became a recognised BALPA airline in 2000 and easyJet in 2001.
From the 1960s to the 1980s BALPA developed a strong ‘technical section', including a main committee and numerous specialist groups. In 1973 BALPA made an important contribution to Sir Douglas Bader's committee on Flight Time Limitations which resulted in the first proper UK controls on pilots' flying hours and later successfully prevented an EU attempt to water down fatigue regulations in 2003 and secured a commitment from the government that UK standards would not be reduced despite new EU rules in 2006. BALPA was closely involved in the development of Concorde, its members flying the simulators and pre-production aircraft in test-flights, and in 1991 was one of the founder members of the European Cockpit Association. By 2008 BALPA membership had reached 10,000. Today BALPA, based at Heathrow, is the sole bargaining union for British civil airline pilots and represents over 85% of all UK pilots. It has over 200 pilot representatives, and 45 full-time staff dealing with flight safety, scheduling, terms and conditions, legal support, lobbying, and public relations.
- Alexander Blain, Pilots and Management. Industrial Relations in the UK Airlines (1972).
Modern Records Centre, Warwick University
Papers re BALPA reorganisation 1962-69; legal advisory committee papers 1981-3; papers re annual delegates conferences in 1973-79, c.1970s; ballots and referendum on rule changes and industrial action 1968-71; papers re particular strikes and industrial disputes 1950-72; papers re Pearson enquiry 1967-68; papers re BOAC pilot meetings and evaluations 1968-77; papers re BEA pilots committee and BALPA head office meetings 1964-75; papers re other organisations: International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations 1971-4, Europilote 1964-77 and National Joint Council for Civil Air Transport 1946-95; papers re government prices and incomes policy 1967-73; papers re white paper on industrial relations and Industrial Relations Act 1971-4; papers re BOAC, British European Airways and independent operator conditions of service negotiations, incl. industrial committee minutes, 1962-77; records re pilot examination and licensing 1964-76; records re legal matters concerning hi-jacking, operation in hostile areas and two fatal accidents 1964-95; records of pilot local councils incl. minutes, agreements, conditions of service, UK and overseas, 1963-79; papers re BEA and BOAC scheduling and rostering 1964-75; papers re BOAC polar and Siberian routes 1969-71; papers re cargo aircraft 1964-8; records of BALPA sub-committee re merger of BOAC and BEA to form British Airways 1973-4; papers re government contracts 1965-73; papers re Civil Aviation Authority 1971-3; papers re flight engineers, flight deck management and pilot workload on Trident aircraft 1964-66; The Log, journal of BALPA, 1980-2001 [BAP].