28-31 March 2014, Panama City

This year’s IFALPA Conference was hosted by the Panama Pilots’ Association (UNPAC). It was preceded by the annual Global Pilots’ Symposium (GPS), which discusses prevailing issues for pilots and pilots’ associations in the world. This year’s hot topic was “Strategic Planning”, a tool that helps organisations determine objectives depending on whether they are achievable. The GPS also welcomed a guest speaker from the maritime industry who exposed the issues they are facing with the so-called “Flags of convenience”, i.e. when a merchant ship can be registered in a different state from the ship owner’ state. This problematic is also threatening the aviation industry, especially in Europe, and must therefore be carefully followed.

At the plenary meetings, IFALPA President explained that one of the main challenges IFALPA has faced this past year was the lack of adequate juridical treatment of pilots who are sometimes jailed in one country waiting for a fair trial. The importance of IFALPA as the representative of pilots to ICAO was also once more stressed. Finally, there was a discussion about the Critical Incident Response Program, a tool that is being developed providing psychological assistance to pilots and which complements national accident/incident hotlines. As a reminder, BeCA’s hotline can be reached through +32 2 248 03 68. In case this line is unreachable, please use the IFALPA hotline at +44 1202 653 110.

For more information on the IFALPA Conference, you can have a look at their daily news.