Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Flight Deck Forums > Rumours & News
Reload this Page >

Are UK airlines pushing for the UK CAA to recognise EASA licences.

Wikiposts
Search

Notices
Rumours & News Reporting Points that may affect our jobs or lives as professional pilots. Also, items that may be of interest to professional pilots.

Are UK airlines pushing for the UK CAA to recognise EASA licences.

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 25th June 2025 | 13:51
  #81 (permalink)  
 
Joined: Aug 2022
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 240
Likes: 152
From: Edinburgh
Originally Posted by Brian Pern
S o you keep saying. The world is not fair, you choose EASA over CAA, it was your choice, I now realise your a Brit, by choosing EASA you pretty much locked yourself into Ryanair and no one else.
No one forced you.down this road, you pays your money and you.takes your pick.
You have a nice shinny jet job with the Irish Airline, if your a SFO, pretty good money, enough to give Alex a call at Bristol GS, get the exams done then license. I had to sit the FAA when I wanted my N reg, it's no different.
anyway I'm done debating with you, there is no point me continuing
Having said I was out, I'm going to have to come back to this specific comment, since you now want to specifically address my circumstances, which you assume you know. I had the choice of EASA or CAA forced on me through a combination of being locked down in a foreign country by COVID after taking one sitting of exams, needing to maintain my existing job in said country, and the fact that I had not budgeted for (nor could afford in the timeframe) to do double of everything, especially not in the UK. None of which I knew would happen when I started.
And you're correct, no one did force me down this road, I don't regret it. If I find myself needing to go and sit the UK ATPL exams, so be it, but my career plan will have diverged massively from what I expect to do, and I will have messed up royally, because I'm really not interested in staying in the UK any longer than I need to.

None of which changes my opinion, or the fact, that the way the CAA handles EASA license conversions is uneccessary, burdensome, and a waste of people's time and money.
richpea is offline  
Reply
Old 25th June 2025 | 16:51
  #82 (permalink)  
100 Countries Visited
5 Anniversary
 
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 201
Likes: 57
From: in the sky
Richpea,
Things never work out the way we expect. We just have to adapt,
Best of luck.
BP
Brian Pern is offline  
Reply
Old 26th June 2025 | 05:47
  #83 (permalink)  
50 Countries Visited
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jul 2007
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 1,090
Likes: 83
From: Germany
I think most people would be happy if the UK and EASA agreed on the equivalence of the theory exams. There might however be some logic to a separate air law exam. Genuine question for the experts, what meaningful differences between CAA and EASA air law would warrant a separate paper?
lederhosen is offline  
Reply
Old 26th June 2025 | 20:09
  #84 (permalink)  
10 Anniversary
 
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,305
Likes: 35
From: Vietnam
If I want an EASA licence it's 13 exams. Doesn't matter if I did the 13 Hong Kong exams or 12 Singapore ones and they are very similar. Why should CAA give you a pass if you did the EASA ones? EASA doesn't give a free pass to anyone.
pilotchute is offline  
Reply
Old 26th June 2025 | 21:53
  #85 (permalink)  
5 Anniversary
 
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 587
Likes: 60
From: FLSomething
Originally Posted by lederhosen
I think most people would be happy if the UK and EASA agreed on the equivalence of the theory exams. There might however be some logic to a separate air law exam. Genuine question for the experts, what meaningful differences between CAA and EASA air law would warrant a separate paper?
Apart from anyone currently working in the UK as a pilot due to the subsequent erosion of Ts&Cs

Why do you think there are now c.300 fully funded cadet programme places a year!!
VariablePitchP is offline  
Reply
Old 27th June 2025 | 01:25
  #86 (permalink)  
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 93
Likes: 1
From: U K
It would be a mistake to believe that many EASA National Aviation Authority licences are any where near UK standard. Even some EASA Autorities will not accept other countries licences. EASA is a shambles, there is no common standard.
Major Cleve Saville is offline  
Reply
Old 27th June 2025 | 12:39
  #87 (permalink)  
100 Countries Visited
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Sep 2003
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 955
Likes: 68
From: away from home
Originally Posted by Major Cleve Saville
It would be a mistake to believe that many EASA National Aviation Authority licences are any where near UK standard. Even some EASA Autorities will not accept other countries licences. EASA is a shambles, there is no common standard.
Ah, good to see the British aura of superiority is alive and well. Carry on!
oceancrosser is offline  
Reply
Old 9th July 2025 | 14:29
  #88 (permalink)  
Veteran: Navy
 
Joined: Jul 2025
Posts: 7
Likes: 1
From: Gibraltar
Originally Posted by Major Cleve Saville
It would be a mistake to believe that many EASA National Aviation Authority licences are any where near UK standard. Even some EASA Autorities will not accept other countries licences. EASA is a shambles, there is no common standard.
Complete bollocks, that might have been the case 20 years ago...
Mrija is offline  
Reply
Old 28th September 2025 | 19:45
  #89 (permalink)  
 
Joined: Sep 2023
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 11
Likes: 2
From: Cardiff
Exactly. Idk if anyone remembers but I sure remember having to memorize seasonal monsoon patterns in India as part of my EASA meteorology exam.

I also think that Newhairdo is just rambling about random stuff because how is the ITCZ or Australian CTAFs relevant to the differences between operations in the UK vs the EU?
cherryeagle is offline  
Reply
Old 28th September 2025 | 19:51
  #90 (permalink)  
 
Joined: Sep 2023
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 11
Likes: 2
From: Cardiff
Touching on what I said, it also is a pointer on why some people might not want to memorise random bs like this to convert their license. It's tough once you're a pilot and you know how useless the theory exams are for the most part.
cherryeagle is offline  
Reply
Old 29th September 2025 | 05:26
  #91 (permalink)  
 
Joined: Jul 2024
Posts: 574
Likes: 429
From: Outbush
Originally Posted by cherryeagle
Exactly. Idk if anyone remembers but I sure remember having to memorize seasonal monsoon patterns in India as part of my EASA meteorology exam.

I also think that Newhairdo is just rambling about random stuff because how is the ITCZ or Australian CTAFs relevant to the differences between operations in the UK vs the EU?
So two things here;
1. Because holding the licence allows you to fly there as a commercial pilot.
2. You clearly haven’t read the thread properly. If you had done so, you would have seen the other replies, and understood the context of the conversations. Do better.
Newhairdo is online now  
Reply
Old 29th September 2025 | 07:06
  #92 (permalink)  
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 152
Likes: 10
From: WWW
If they are struggling for pilots increase the salaries. The UK always loves to throw its own people under the bus.
roll_over is offline  
Reply
Old 29th September 2025 | 08:20
  #93 (permalink)  
10 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,851
Likes: 352
From: UK
Originally Posted by Major Cleve Saville
It would be a mistake to believe that many EASA National Aviation Authority licences are any where near UK standard. Even some EASA Autorities will not accept other countries licences. EASA is a shambles, there is no common standard.
Didn't EASA just fall to the lowest common denominator. Hence why EASA FTLs were relaxed heavily comlater to the old CAA standard. My guess would be licencing did the same.
Googlebug is offline  
Reply
Old 29th September 2025 | 09:57
  #94 (permalink)  
5 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 184
Likes: 56
From: Dubai, once... now London
I’d support bringing back mutual recognition between EASA and UK-CAA licences. It wouldn’t change who can actually take jobs: non-Brits in the UK and non-EU pilots in Europe still need the right to work or visa sponsorship. All mutual recognition would do is reduce duplication and cost for crews who already meet training, medical and recency standards - without undermining each market’s immigration controls or airline hiring policies.
nickler is offline  
Reply
Old 30th September 2025 | 09:29
  #95 (permalink)  
Community Builder
Community Influencer
25 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jun 2001
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 1,153
Likes: 696
From: Brit living in Malaysia
Originally Posted by nickler
I’d support bringing back mutual recognition between EASA and UK-CAA licences. It wouldn’t change who can actually take jobs: non-Brits in the UK and non-EU pilots in Europe still need the right to work or visa sponsorship. All mutual recognition would do is reduce duplication and cost for crews who already meet training, medical and recency standards - without undermining each market’s immigration controls or airline hiring policies.
Far too sensible! Or just a simple endorsement on one's licence which authorises the holder to operate. The host country administrates the endorsement. The licence holder's national Authority administrates the rest of the licence.It's how much of the rest of the world operates.
BANANASBANANAS is online now  
Reply
Old 30th September 2025 | 10:02
  #96 (permalink)  
 
Joined: Nov 2006
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 243
Likes: 11
From: Top Bunk
Yes. ridiculous.
45989 is offline  
Reply
Old 1st October 2025 | 05:30
  #97 (permalink)  
 
Joined: Jul 2024
Posts: 574
Likes: 429
From: Outbush
Originally Posted by BANANASBANANAS
Far too sensible! Or just a simple endorsement on one's licence which authorises the holder to operate. The host country administrates the endorsement. The licence holder's national Authority administrates the rest of the licence.It's how much of the rest of the world operates.
Endorsements are only available for 12 months.
Full recognition is the only sensible solution, a bit like the Australia / New Zealand Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement (TTMRA).
Don't hold your breath though! Can you really see Sly Keir and his broken government having the time or appetite to negotiate this with Europe? And what do you think Europe might say anyway!?
Newhairdo is online now  
Reply
Old 1st October 2025 | 09:54
  #98 (permalink)  
50 Countries Visited
25 Anniversary
Veteran: Air Force
 
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 1,171
Likes: 119
From: uk
It's nothing to do with 'sly Keir and his government', rather the sh!t Brexit deal negotiated by, among others, Shapps because EASA has an E at the beginning. Remaining within EASA was always an option. And why should EASA/EU care anyway? And even if there was recognition there are still the 'right to live and work' hurdles to clear. For clarity, yes I think mutual recognition would be a good thing, staying in EASA would have been a better thing but we are where we are. My experience of working with mainland Europeans and their view of Brexit is mainly a shrug of their shoulders and a sense of bemusement and them getting on with their lives.
deltahotel is offline  
Reply
Old 2nd October 2025 | 07:38
  #99 (permalink)  
 
Joined: Sep 2025
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 27
Likes: 25
From: Birmimgham
Originally Posted by deltahotel
It's nothing to do with 'sly Keir and his government', rather the sh!t Brexit deal negotiated by, among others, Shapps because EASA has an E at the beginning. Remaining within EASA was always an option. And why should EASA/EU care anyway? And even if there was recognition there are still the 'right to live and work' hurdles to clear. For clarity, yes I think mutual recognition would be a good thing, staying in EASA would have been a better thing but we are where we are. My experience of working with mainland Europeans and their view of Brexit is mainly a shrug of their shoulders and a sense of bemusement and them getting on with their lives.
We might be where we are but we shouldn’t settle just because the hurdles seem too large. This Brexit mess has cost me personally £1000s in dual licences and tests etc. The while separation is completely illogical and in all honesty it shouldn’t actually be about just rejoining EASA… EASA needs to step forward and the current / old authority system needs to be dismantled. The fractured nature of European aviation regulation and even unions is why certain airlines are able to suppress wages and push training costs from the type onwards into aspiring pilots who by CPL (APS MCC) have already paid their dues.

The fractured nature of the current system also raises concerns on regulatory capture of these authorities by airlines with a lot of money and power… the fact that the U.K. CAA for instance allow a particular airline to fly non G-reg out of UK bases permanently while other airlines have properly split their fleets says a lot and that’s just a clear influence we can see.
Prometheus737 is offline  
Reply
Old 16th October 2025 | 12:02
  #100 (permalink)  
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 329
Likes: 3
From: British
Any meaningful updates?
Tight Seat is offline  
Reply


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.