easyJet pilots agreement 2025-2028: what changes and how it affects operations

Key data

easyJet pilots hired in Spain have been operating since March 1, 2025 under a new comprehensive labor framework. The Resolution of August 28, 2026 from the General Labor Directorate registers and publishes the III Collective Agreement, which repeals and entirely replaces the previous agreement in force between 2022 and 2025. The application is retroactive: any condition agreed in this text takes effect from March 1, 2025, which may generate pending economic or administrative adjustments.

For easyJet and for the union representatives of pilots, this agreement sets the rules of the game until February 29, 2028, with the possibility of automatic extension if neither party denounces it with at least three months' notice before expiration.

What does this regulation establish?

The III Collective Agreement comprehensively regulates all working conditions for easyJet technical crew in Spain. Below are the key structural elements:

The agreement expressly recognizes the public service nature of air transport, which justifies the internal two-stage dispute resolution process before any conflict can lead to union actions. Any matter not covered by the agreement is governed by the Workers' Statute, individual contracts and applicable civil aviation regulations.

Economic and operational impact

The main operational impact for easyJet Spain is the retroactive application from March 1, 2025. This means that if there are differences between the conditions applied from that date and those established by the new agreement, the company must adjust them.

From a human resources management perspective, the most relevant operational changes are:

• Active Parity Commission: with six members (three per party) and set deadlines, any interpretive doubt about the agreement must be channeled through this body before escalating to external instances.
• Internal two-stage resolution process: requires exhausting the internal channel before any union action, which adds a layer of prior conflict management to labor disputes.
• Automatic extension: if the agreement is not denounced with three months' notice before February 29, 2028, it automatically extends for another year. It is necessary to schedule this date in regulatory monitoring systems.
• Clear supplementary framework: the Workers' Statute and civil aviation regulations cover gaps, which reduces legal uncertainty in matters not regulated.

Who does it affect?

• easyJet pilots (technical crew) hired under Spanish legislation: this is the group directly regulated by this agreement.
• easyJet Spain Human Resources Department: must verify retroactive application from March 1, 2025 and adapt internal processes to the new framework.
• Union representatives of pilots: participate in the Parity Commission and in the internal conflict resolution process.
• Labor advisors and law firms specialized in aviation: must know the new agreement to properly advise the company and pilots in any dispute or interpretation.
• easyJet legal and regulatory compliance management: responsible for ensuring that conditions applied from March 2025 comply with the published agreement.

Practical example

An easyJet pilot hired under Spanish legislation who has experienced any change in their working conditions between March 1, 2025 and the date of publication of the agreement (September 11, 2026) has the right to have those conditions retroactively adjusted to what is agreed in the III Collective Agreement.

Suppose a discrepancy arises regarding the interpretation of a salary supplement or working condition. The mandatory process would be:

1. Stage 1 of the internal process: the pilot or their representative raises the issue through the internal channel provided for in the agreement.
2. Stage 2 of the internal process: if not resolved in the first stage, it is escalated to the Parity Commission (3 company representatives + 3 from the union side), which must meet and resolve within the set deadlines established.
3. Only if both stages are exhausted without agreement, the affected party can escalate to union actions or external instances.

This process is mandatory due to the public service nature of air transport recognized in the agreement itself, and its non-compliance could invalidate union actions undertaken without having previously exhausted it.

What should companies do now?

1. Review conditions applied from March 1, 2025: retroactive validity requires verifying that everything applied from that date complies with the new agreement. Identify possible differences and adjust them.
2. Establish or update the Parity Commission: designate the three company representatives who will be part of the six-member commission, and ensure that the set meeting and resolution deadlines are operational.
3. Document the internal two-stage dispute resolution process: establish internal procedures so that any conflict is properly managed before escalating to union actions.
4. Schedule the denunciation deadline: mark November 29, 2027 (three months before February 29, 2028) as the latest date to decide whether to denounce the agreement or allow it to automatically extend.
5. Update individual contracts if necessary: verify that no individual contract clause contradicts the new collective agreement, which prevails in what is more favorable to the worker.
6. Inform affected pilots: communicate the changes from the previous agreement (2022-2025) to avoid future claims due to lack of knowledge.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-19041