Turkey's Civil Aviation Authority tightens conditions for Turkish pilots who retire and leave the country to work for foreign airlines, Reuters writes.

The sector across Europe is facing particularly long queues at airports this summer, in part due to a shortage of staff to deal with the post-COVID-19 demand recovery.

Turkish authorities have said that pilots who want to work for foreign airlines will need a letter of consent from their previous employer. If a pilot resigns without written consent, then his application for verification will not be considered by the authorities for six months, the report said.

Air travel and passenger numbers in Turkey are approaching pre-outbreak levels, according to official figures.

The Hava-Is union, which said the new regulation is an interference with the freedom of work and personal rights of pilots, will meet with representatives of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation to discuss the changes.

Hava-Is said there is a strong demand for Turkish pilots from Gulf countries and North American air carriers. According to the aviation authority, there are 10,525 aircraft pilots in Turkey.

Last month, Germany said it would expedite the issuance of work permits and visas for several thousand foreign airport workers, mostly from Turkey, to ease the chaos of summer travel.