Airline pilots’ union elects first female general secretary

Amy Leversidge will take over as head of the British Airline Pilots’ Association in January.

Amy Leversidge will take over as head of the British Airline Pilots’ Association in January (PA) (PA Archive)

The union representing airline pilots has elected its first female general secretary in its 86-year history.

Amy Leversidge will take over as head of the British Airline Pilots’ Association (Balpa) in January after being elected unopposed.

The assistant general secretary at the senior civil servants union FDA will replace Miranda Rackley, who has acted as interim general secretary since Captain Martin Chalk retired earlier this year.

Balpa executive president Paul Copland said: “I am delighted the national executive council’s chosen candidate, Amy Leversidge, will be joining us.

“The new year will be a time of new challenges for Balpa with a new NEC leadership and General Secretary working together to ensure our members are at the heart of all we do.

“Amy’s experience in her previous roles will add an extra dimension to our team and will help us continue to represent pilots and ensure action is taken on the issues that matter to our members.”

Ms Leversidge said: “The airline industry contributes significantly to the UK economy and supports over a million jobs, and pilots are at the heart of the industry.

“As the voice of UK pilots, Balpa will ensure our voice is influential with employers, regulators and Government on the many challenges the airline industry faces.”

The news follows Thursday’s announcement that Fran Heathcote has been elected as the first female general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union.