From the IPA's humble beginnings, through to being a leading Trade Union for Pilots in Great Britain, our core philosophy is to provide unrivalled service, to every member, always. 

Our origins can be traced to the early 1990s when a self-help group was organized at the Gatwick airport Job Centre for pilots impacted by the collapse of Air Europe in 1991. Through the 1990's, we grew larger as more members sought to utilize our services in Pilot recruitment, financial services and employment assistance. By 2000, our expertise in employment law, collective bargaining and representation had become undeniable, as such we branched out to form the Independent Pilots Federation Union, which ran in parallel to the Association for many years. 

Today, we are simply known as the Independent Pilots Association (IPA). We have a large and ever growing membership, who benefit from our range of services, such as: Representation in workplace issues, an expert in-house legal team, 24/7 contact, contract reviewing and ever increasing partner discounts and services. Expert advice is always close-by, as our highly experiences Executive Council is comprised of current and retired Pilots from a variety of airlines. We are independent; meaning that we do not hold any allegiance to a particular airline or Pilot group. This means you can be sure that you'll always be represented by a dedicated team of in-house experts, who's priority is you and your situation. 

We have extensive success is obtaining favorable outcomes for our members through employment tribunals, collective negotiation, workplace disciplinaries/grievances/flexible working applications and settlement agreements. Read our testimonials below. 

Our mission is to never stop improving what we do, each and every member has our commitment on that. Whether that be by always remaining fully trained in ever-changing UK Law, letting members steer our progression through feedback, or utilizing technology to make our services more accessible. From the IPA's humble beginnings, through to being a leading Trade Union for Pilots in Great Britain, our core philosophy is to provide unrivalled service, to every member, always.

Whether new to the industry, or approaching retirement, we look forward to welcoming you onboard.