Pilots are speaking out against an aviation industry push toward having a sole crew member in the cockpit.

At a news conference in Montreal, leaders of three of the world’s largest pilot unions representing more than 150,000 workers said a proposal to Europe’s aviation regulator aims to boost airline profits at the expense of safety.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency is mulling a pitch by plane makers Airbus and Dassault Aviation for some aircraft to be crewed by just one pilot for part of the flight — though not during takeoff and landing — by 2027. Currently, two pilots are required at the flight deck throughout the trip.

The proposal would create an “unacceptable” safety risk for passengers, said Jack Netskar, president of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations, which includes some 6,200 Canadians.