Pilots from UK and Spain plan closer links and policies

Pilots in the UK and Spain have held talks aimed at forging closer links following similar moves by leading airlines.

The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) said the discussions with the national pilots association in Spain, Selpa, would strengthen their working relationship against a background of growing transnational operations and a changing regulatory framework in the industry.

Balpa chairman Captain Mark Searle said: "The two unions believe that whilst there is free movement of capital, employment laws are in the main domestically constrained, leading to airlines playing employees off against each other. We will do all we can to prevent this."

Selpa president Captain Javier Martinez de Velasco said: "By working together in partnership, we can more effectively deal with regulation which is increasingly being decided at European level."

The unions said they wanted to develop common policies on issues such as the increasing threat of fatigue among pilots, shared research facilities, reciprocal legal support, an initiative to benchmark salaries across both countries' carriers, and aligning training courses.