Petition to the UK CAA to recognize EASA exams and licences passed in 2021-2022

​#INTRODUCTION

Before Brexit, the UK CAA (UK Civil Aviation Authority) belonged to EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency). EASA is the agency of the European Union with responsibility for civil aviation safety.

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To understand the problem presented here, we need to explain some points:

• For a pilot to be able to work in EASA, she/he needs to hold a pilot licence issued by any country that belongs to EASA.

• Now, for a pilot to be able to work in UK CAA-registered companies, she/he needs a pilot licence issued by the UK CAA

• Therefore, once the UK CAA leaves EASA due to Brexit:

  • Pilots with licences issued by the UK CAA will not be able to work in the rest of Europe.

  • Pilots with licenses issued by any EASA country will not be able to work in the UK and/or in those UK companies that moved to an EASA country.

And that happens no matter the pilot's citizenship or residency.

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During the Brexit uncertainty and the transition period, the aviation authorities had to deal with this change to achieve an outcome. The UK CAA spread the idea that they were going to do either of these:

• Their best to either achieve mutual recognition with EASA, or

• Their best to help students and pilots even if EASA would not recognize the UK CAA.

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However, after the Brexit transition period, the UK CAA have changed their position causing severe consequences for students, pilots and other jobs in the aviation industry.

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The following information explains this situation.

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#2019-2020 - SITUATION DURING THE BREXIT TRANSITION

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• WHAT THE UK CAA SAY:

“The goal is a mutual recognition with EASA. in the worst case scenario (a Hard Brexit where EASA ceases recognition), the UK CAA spreads the idea that:

UK CAA would continue to recognise EASA certificates up to 2022 (in other words, for up to two years after the end of the Brexit transition period ). There will be a simple and straightforward process for conversion of an EASA CPL to a UK CPL”.

You can verify their statement until at least September 2020, where they say all "EASA certificates" in general: https://web.archive.org/web/20200907164043/https://info.caa.co.uk/brexit/student-pilots/

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• WHAT THE UK AVIATION INDUSTRY DOES:

- Most of the big companies leave the UK CAA and move to an EASA state. Therefore, they will only recruit pilots with an EASA licence.
- Some other companies stay in the UK CAA, so they will only recruit pilots with a UK CAA licence.
- Small companies and individuals are generally advised to transfer their licences to EASA States.

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• STUDENTS AND PILOTS ARE LEFT ALONE:

Based on what the UK CAA says and what the Aviation Industry does, students are left alone and forced to make a decision. The only two possibilities are:

 

1) Transfer out licences (SOLI out) from the UK CAA to an EASA State, or
2) Start ATPL theoretical exams under an EASA State to seek an EASA license

 

In both cases, with the goal of gaining: (a) an EASA License (to be employable in the UK, in an EASA state and in UK companies under an EASA State), and (b) a UK CAA licence (because the UK CAA states that this will be simple and straightfoward).

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• COVID PANDEMIC PRESSURE AND CONSEQUENCES:

During this Brexit transition period, the COVID PANDEMIC hit hard the world aviation industry. Professional Pilots were being fired from their long-term companies and the future for pilot jobs started looking very dubious. This put students under more pressure to take one of the two possibilities above in order to secure future employability.

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#2021 - SITUATION AFTER THE BREXIT TRANSITION

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• COVID PANDEMIC PRESSURE AND CONSEQUENCES:

Students have been and are still undergoing severe difficulties in order to complete training because of MASSIVE DELAYS due to COVID. ATPL exams have been and are constantly cancelled, making it IMPOSSIBLE for many students to take all exams before the end of 2020. The same applies to flight training, the issue of licences and all administrative procedures across every National Aviation Authority in Europe.

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• WHAT THE UK CAA DO:

Without giving any notice or time to adapt, the UK CAA takes the unilateral decision of bringing in a different scenario. EASA certificates taken in 2021-2022 will no longer be recognized by the UK CAA per se, instead the new situation is:
- EASA ATPL exams passed in 2021-22: not valid
- EASA Licences issued in 2021-22 : not valid
- EASA Flight Training & Checking completed in 2021-22 : valid, but conditions and fees are still not clear.
Unsurprisingly, the items that are not valid are the ones where the UK CAA can make a profit at the expense of the students’ limited resources by: (a) unnecessarily forcing students to repeat identical exams under the same syllabus with same Learning Objectives, and (b) creating extra fees out-of-nowhere.

Illogically, this also increases the bureaucracy and paperwork at the worst time. The UK CAA already has a HUGE BACKLOG and MASSIVE DELAYS caused by limited staff, Covid and Brexit.

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• ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES FOR STUDENTS AND PILOTS:

This new unfair scenario created by the UK CAA means that students now face ENDLESS BUREAUCRACY and more difficulties such as:
- BIG ECONOMIC IMPACT for already-struggling STUDENTS (more administrative fees, more exam fees, more costs for trips & accommodation to assist exams. more days off work and more difficulties to balance work/life.)
- Causing unnecessary extra STRESS by forcing students TO TAKE IDENTICAL EXAMS TWICE UNDER THE SAME SYLLABUS WITH SAME LEARNING OBJECTIVES.

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#COMPLAINTS

• The UK CAA may not have any control over the Covid pandemic or the UK Government Brexit, but they DO have control over their own decisions. The UK CAA do not have anybody overseeing their decisions, so they possess the full power to decide a better outcome for students and pilots. We are requesting they recognize exams and licences that are identical and have been obtained under the same syllabus and conditions

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• The UK CAA is currently going through massive delays in all departments due to the COVID impact and Brexit. This also causes severe problems to many individuals and companies. They do ask for understanding in this “very difficult and challenging time”. However, THE UK CAA, DO NOT SHOW ANY UNDERSTANDING when it comes to introducing changes that cause a big expense and difficulties for already-struggling students. Students certainly need understanding because they do have limited resources.

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• The UK CAA is creating extortionate fees and developing more complex bureaucracy on the pathway to becoming a pilot. Students are currently spending more money and time on endless and repetitive bureaucracy, instead of focusing resources on becoming a pilot. The UK CAA is discouraging and impeding students to progress.

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• In the current pandemic-economic crisis, it appears, in order to make a profit, the UK CAA’s solution is to disregard students and schools (ATOs) to make them repeat exams and processes at great extra expense to themselves.

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#PETITION TO THE UK CAA

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• 1) Recognize EASA ATPL Theoretical examinations passed in 2021-2022

• 2) Recognize EASA Licences issued in 2021-2022

• 3) Timely release of clear information and administration processes with reasonable fees

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