French pilots' union criticizes EasyJet over self-employed contracts for Morocco-based pilots

British low-cost carrier EasyJet is facing criticism from French pilot unions over its reported plan to recruit Morocco-based pilots under self-employed contracts, with labor representatives accusing the airline of using Morocco’s employment framework to reduce costs and boost profit margins.

According to French newspaper La Tribune, the French National Union of Airline Pilots (SNPL) said EasyJet’s recruitment model in Morocco shifts social and financial risks onto pilots while allowing the airline to retain operational control.

“There is a clear intention to reduce costs as much as possible in order to increase profit margins,” the union said, warning that the approach could encourage social dumping and undermine pilots’ employment protections.

The SNPL said pilots recruited in Morocco are hired through Storm Aviation, an Ireland-based aviation staffing company, before being assigned to work for EasyJet. The union described the arrangement as unique within the airline’s network compared with its other operational bases.

EasyJet announced in October 2025 that it would establish its first operating base in Morocco, centered in Marrakech, with operations beginning in April 2026. The base operates three aircraft, serves around 30 routes linking Morocco with European cities, and is expected to create about 100 jobs, including roughly 60 pilot positions.

According to the union, pilots recruited for the Marrakech base were offered self-employed contracts instead of the traditional employment contracts used by the airline in other countries.

In a statement to La Tribune, EasyJet neither confirmed nor denied the nature of the contracts offered to Morocco-based pilots and did not provide specific details about their employment conditions.

The airline said, however, that none of the pilots currently based in Marrakech had been recruited through an external partner.

“The pilots currently operating flights from Marrakech are seconded from other EasyJet bases,” the company said.

EasyJet added that using specialized aviation recruitment agencies is an established practice in Morocco and is also employed by other airlines operating in the country.

The airline previously said its Marrakech base is the first permanent EasyJet operating base in Africa and forms part of a long-term partnership with the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT).

EasyJet expects the base to offer 4 million seats during its first year of operation while supporting around 100 direct jobsand thousands of indirect positions.

The carrier has also launched four new routes connecting Marrakech with Hamburg, Lille, and Strasbourg, as well as a new Geneva–Tangier service.

EasyJet Chief Executive Kenton Jarvis previously described Morocco as one of the airline’s key markets and its fastest-growing destination outside Europe, saying the Marrakech base would strengthen air connectivity between Morocco and European destinations.