Airline Pilot Jobs: Who’s Hiring and What They Require

Which airlines are actually recruiting pilots, and what each one requires: licence, minimum hours, type rating and right to work, taken from the airline’s own careers page rather than a job board. Every entry shows the date it was last checked.

Airlines recruiting now (9)

These airlines had a live pilot vacancy or a dated recruitment statement on their own careers page when we last checked. Confirm before you apply — vacancies close without notice.

Air FranceRecruiting

France · Paris-Charles de Gaulle

Direct-entry stream is OPEN. A vacancy 'Pilote de ligne F/H' (reference 2026-23622, CDI, desired start date 01/01/2027, Roissy CDG) was loaded on Air France's own recruitment portal on 25 August 2026 with a working 'Je postule a cette offre' submit button. The portal shows no publication or closing date for this vacancy, so the evidence for 'hiring' is that the offer was live and applyable on the date checked, not a dated announcement. The Cadet (ab-initio) stream is CLOSED: Air France's own press release of 15 June 2026 states applications ran 'from June 15 to July 31, 2026', that window has passed, the cadet vacancy URL now returns 'L'offre que vous essayez d'afficher n'existe pas ou plus sur ce site', and Air France's pilot page tells cadet candidates to create a job alert to be told when the next selection opens. The 2026 cadet campaign is now in its selection phase: Air France's pilot page gives PSY0 on the first weekend of September, PSY1 during the Toussaint school break (17 October - 2 November 2026) and PSY2 'at the beginning of next year' (i.e. early 2027).

Entry routes: Direct entry First Officer (filiere 'Pilote professionnel' / Professional Pilot) - currently open · Cadet / ab-initio (filiere 'Pilote Cadet') - fully funded training, applications closed (2026 window ran 15 June - 31 July 2026)

Fleet: Airbus A220-300 · Airbus A320 family · Airbus A330 · Airbus A350 · Boeing 777 · Boeing 787-9

Selection process: Admissibility phase - review of CV and cover letter, both written in French → PSY1 - psychotechnical and psychomotor tests, held at ENAC. Candidates are then placed on a main list (all invited to PSY2), a secondary list (invited to PSY2 according to company needs), or not admitted → PSY2 - two personality inventories, group exercises and an individual interview, held at Roissy/CDG in the Air France selection department; candidates sign a confidentiality charter on the group exercises. Air France states that paid commercial group-test preparation courses have shown no added value in its selections → Possibly an assessment session on a flight simulator → Recruitment committee - reviews the files of candidates who reached PSY2 and decides pass, deferral or definitive elimination. Each stage is valid for 2 years → CADET STREAM adds a PSY0 online pre-selection before PSY1: a remote ~3 hour test taken within a pre-defined 36 hour window (Paris time), covering logic, reasoning, aeronautical general knowledge and enhanced English, used to rank candidates for the next phase. Requires a webcam and secure proctoring software

Air France careers page · Air France interview preparation guideChecked 25 August 2026

easyJetRecruiting

United Kingdom · United Kingdom · France · Germany · Italy

CAPTAINS ONLY. Three easyJet pilot requisitions were open and readable on easyJet's own Taleo careers system on 2026-08-25, each with an Unposting Date of "Ongoing": (1) "Captains: A320 Rated (2027) - London Gatwick" (job 17123, req 251743, Flight Operations, permanent, Primary Location United Kingdom-London-London Gatwick Airport); (2) "Captains: Non-Type Rated (2027) - London Gatwick" (job 17124, req 251763, permanent); (3) "Captains: A320 Rated - MARRAKESH (2-year Fixed Term Contract)" (job 17000, req 250063, Primary Location Morocco, contracted through Storm Global, NOT direct easyJet employment). A full sweep of easyJet's Taleo requisition range on 2026-08-25 found NO open Direct Entry Co-Pilot / First Officer vacancy and NO cadet vacancy on easyJet's own system. Pilots should not read this "hiring" as applying to First Officer or cadet entry.

Entry routes: Direct entry Captain - type rated (A320) - LIVE vacancy at London Gatwick as at 2026-08-25 · Direct entry Captain - non-type rated - LIVE vacancy at London Gatwick as at 2026-08-25 · Direct entry Captain - type rated, Marrakesh, 2-year fixed term via Storm Global (agency contract, not easyJet employment) - LIVE as at 2026-08-25 · Direct entry Co-Pilot - type rated (A320) - route described on easyJet's careers page, but NO live vacancy found on 2026-08-25 · Direct entry Co-Pilot - non-type rated (joining as Second Officer, First Officer or Senior First Officer depending on experience and hours) - route described on easyJet's careers page, but NO live vacancy found on 2026-08-25 · Cadet / ab-initio - Generation easyJet Pilot Training Programme (MPL, delivered by CAE) - described on easyJet's own page; application status not published by easyJet · Cadet / ab-initio - easyJet FlightCrew Futures Programme (Integrated ATPL with A320 Type Rating included, in partnership with Skyborne Airline Academy) - described on easyJet's own page; application status not published by easyJet · Graduates of partner training schools (CAE, Skyborne Airline Academy, Acron Aviation Academy, FTE Jerez, Leading Edge Aviation, Urbe Aero) "should we have additional vacancies" - easyJet states these are "not guaranteed" and are communicated by the schools directly to their trainees

Fleet: Airbus A320 family

Selection process: GENERIC PROCESS published on easyJet's Pilots careers page (five stages): 1. Online Application - choose a vacancy, check minimum requirements, apply with details, documents and a series of questions. 2. Online Test - aptitude tests covering verbal, numerical and spatial reasoning, plus a personality questionnaire to comply with EASA regulations. 3. Application Review - easyJet checks basic requirements are met and questions fully answered, then invites to the next available Assessment Centre. 4. Non-Technical Assessments - held virtually or at one of easyJet's SIM Centres; group exercise, company presentation and a competency-based interview. 5. Technical Assessment - simulator assessment for Direct Entry Captains and Co-Pilots, with a full briefing provided beforehand. → LIVE GATWICK CAPTAIN VACANCIES (17123, 17124) publish a four-stage version: STAGE 1 Online Application; STAGE 2 Online Assessments; STAGE 3 Application Review; STAGE 4 Assessment Centre - "This will take place in one of our Simulator Centres and will consist of both a Non-Technical and a Technical (SIM) Assessment." → Assessment centre locations - CONFIRMED on easyJet's own careers page FAQ, verbatim: "For our Direct Entry Co-Pilots and Captains, Assessment Centres will take place in one of our Training Centres (London Gatwick or Milan)." The same FAQ states "Cadet assessment takes place online using Microsoft Teams." → MARRAKESH VACANCY (17000) uses a different process run by Storm Global: STAGE 1 easyJet passes details to Storm Global; STAGE 2 Application Review by Storm Global; STAGE 3 Online Personality Questionnaire; STAGE 4 Assessment Centre - easyJet states this "will take place at London Gatwick". → CADET ROUTE variant published on the Become a Pilot page: 1. Prepare/research; 2. Online application; 3. Technical selection (aptitude tests for motor skills and spatial awareness plus computer-based maths and technical tests); 4. Non-technical assessment (virtual - presentation, group exercise, one-to-one interview); 5. The offer.

easyJet careers page · easyJet interview preparation guideChecked 25 August 2026

EmiratesRecruiting

United Arab Emirates · Dubai

Four pilot vacancies (First Officer, Accelerated Command, Direct Entry Captain, National Cadet Pilot Programme) were live in Emirates' own job feed when checked on 25 Aug 2026, all Dubai-based, none carrying a closing date, and all four application links returned HTTP 200 (i.e. applications are open). Emirates' own pilots page also carries 53 recruitment open-day sessions with live Microsoft Forms registration links, the earliest sessions marked 'Fully booked'. Caution on dating: Emirates prints only day and month on those sessions (02 Sep through 26 Feb) - no year appears anywhere on the page, so the calendar year is inferred, not published. See 'unverified'.

Entry routes: Direct entry First Officer (B777 stream, or A380/A350 stream) - 2,000 hours · Accelerated Command - Airbus First Officer entry with fast-track command upgrade - 5,000 hours · Direct entry Captain - A350 or A380, Airbus only - 7,000 hours · National Cadet Pilot Programme (ab-initio, UAE nationals only) - 0 hours

Fleet: A380 · B777 · A350

Selection process: Online application via the Emirates Group Careers job board, with CV, passport, licence/type rating and Class 1 medical attached. → Stage 1 (remote): short HireVue video interview, psychometric testing, abstract reasoning testing, and a live digital panel interview. → Stage 2 (Dubai, over two days, plus a day's travel either side): simulator assessment, Advanced COMPASS, and Emirates medical assessment. Emirates provides the candidate and legal spouse a return Economy Class ticket (upgradable to Business subject to availability) from the nearest Emirates network destination. → Certified logbook verification at the assessment stage. → Assessment can be deferred by emailing pilot recruitment (pilotrecdxb@emirates.com), but declining an accepted assessment with less than a week's notice may close the application. Unsuccessful candidates are emailed reapplication timeframes if eligible. → National Cadet Pilot Programme runs a separate three-stage process: Stage 1 maths and physics assessments plus medical pre-screening at the EK Clinic; Stage 2 COMPASS test, mental maths, aviation English test and psychometrics including abstract and spatial reasoning; Stage 3 panel interview and GCAA medical examination. → Recruitment open days / roadshows are run as pre-application information sessions covering the application and selection process, pathways, training, progression, rosters and relocation - they are not a selection stage.

Emirates careers page · Emirates interview preparation guideChecked 25 August 2026

Etihad AirwaysRecruiting

United Arab Emirates · Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Five experienced-pilot vacancies are live on Etihad's own applicant tracking system (SmartRecruiters instance 'EtihadAirways5', linked from careers.etihad.com): First Officer (A320), First Officer - Airbus Wide Body, Captain (A320), Captain - Airbus Wide body and Captain A320 - Instructor, all released 31 July 2026. A sixth pilot vacancy, the UAE National Cadet Pilot Programme, was released 6 May 2026. All six were confirmed visibility PUBLIC on Etihad's own SmartRecruiters API on 25 August 2026, and Etihad's pilot careers page additionally advertises seven recruitment events between September and October 2026. Note that the Cadet Pilot Programme is filed under Etihad's L&D function rather than the Pilots function, so it does NOT appear on the careers.smartrecruiters.com/EtihadAirways5/pilots vacancy index, which lists only the five experienced-pilot roles.

Entry routes: Type-rated Direct Entry First Officer - A320 family (must be current on A320) · Type-rated Direct Entry First Officer - Airbus Wide Body FBW or Boeing wide body (must be current on type) · Direct Entry Captain - A320 family (must be current on A320) · Direct Entry Captain - Airbus Wide Body FBW or Boeing wide body (must be current on type) · Direct Entry Captain A320 - Instructor (TRI/TRE stream) · Cadet Pilot Programme - ab-initio, UAE Nationals only

Fleet: A320 family · Airbus Wide Body FBW · Boeing wide body

Selection process: Etihad does not publish a stage-by-stage pilot selection process on its own careers site. The page that previously described its recruitment process (careers.etihad.com/content/Our-Recruitment-Process/) returns HTTP 404 as of 25 August 2026. → Online application through Etihad's own careers portal, careers.etihad.com, which routes to its SmartRecruiters instance; a candidate profile is created and CV plus supporting documents uploaded. → Every pilot advert contains the sentence 'Interviews are conducted face-to-face or via video/telephone before any formal offer.' Read in context this sentence sits inside Etihad's Recruitment Fraud Alert and is there to help candidates spot scams, not as a description of the selection process. It is the only thing Etihad publishes about how candidates are assessed, and it should not be presented to a pilot as a published selection stage. No detail on the number or content of stages is published. → In-person recruitment events (roadshows) run by the recruitment team, at which candidates can meet the team and register interest. Etihad states that candidates who do not yet meet all selection criteria are still welcome to attend and register interest. Advertised 2026 events: Helsinki 8 September, Stockholm 10 September, Munich 13 October, Frankfurt 15 October, Athens 20 October, Virtual 20 October, Hong Kong 28 October. → Etihad publishes a recruitment fraud warning stating it will never ask for personal information, bank details, or payment during the recruitment process.

Etihad Airways careers page · Etihad Airways interview preparation guideChecked 25 August 2026

KLMRecruiting

Netherlands · Amsterdam Schiphol

Verified in-browser on 25 August 2026 against KLM's own careers site. Two cockpit vacancies were live and accepting applications ('Solliciteer nu'): the evergreen 'Verkeersvlieger - Piloot' direct entry role (job ID 16494; JobPosting datePosted 25-04-2024, no validThrough; the page states in terms that the vacancy is open with no closing date and KLM reserves the right to close it at any moment; body text is current, referencing KLM's 2026 network of 161 destinations) and 'First Officer B747 Full Freighter' for Martinair Cargo (job ID 20850; JobPosting datePosted 24-06-2026; the page displayed 'Deze vacature sluit over 6 dagen', i.e. closing on or about 31 August 2026). A keyword search of the live jobs list returned no other flying vacancies. The KLM Flight Academy cadet route is separately open: applications for school year 2026/2027 run 01-01-2026 to 01-04-2027, with 80 students trained in 2026 across four classes. SHELF LIFE: the Martinair vacancy closes around 31 August 2026, after which only the evergreen direct entry vacancy and the cadet route remain open; re-check before relying on this record after that date.

Entry routes: KLM publishes TWO routes into its cockpits (pilot FAQ): (1) straight from the KLM Flight Academy, or (2) as an already-experienced pilot applying to an open vacancy. · Direct entry pilot ('Verkeersvlieger - Piloot') — experienced pilots who already hold a valid Multi-Pilot Aircraft type rating. KLM assigns you either as Second Officer on a wide-body or as First Officer on a European aircraft depending on production demand; the vacancy states 'KLM bepaalt de toewijzing' (KLM decides the allocation). · Cadet / ab-initio via KLM Flight Academy (KLMFA) in Eelde — two-year course, 80 students trained in 2026, KLM employment contract signed at the start of training alongside the training agreement. · First Officer B747-400F with Martinair Cargo — a separate vacancy; you are employed by KLM and placed in the Martinair freight operation. Higher hours requirements than mainline. · NOTE: EU military pilot experience is an ALTERNATIVE way of qualifying within the direct entry and Martinair vacancies (an EU Military Pilot Licence MPL-A/H plus Dutch at B2 can substitute for the civil flight-school preference and the hours figures). It is not a separate application route, and KLM publishes no standalone military-entry vacancy.

Fleet: Boeing 777 · Boeing 787 · Boeing 737 · Airbus A330 · Airbus A321neo · Boeing 747-400F · Airbus A350 · Airbus A320neo

Selection process: Round 1: CV selection (application with CV, motivation letter and all supporting documents in PDF) → Round 2: Online assessment → Round 3: Psychological assessment → Round 4: Simulator grading → Round 5: Interview with the Hiring Committee (Commissie van Aanname / COVA) → Round 6: Security screening by the AIVD Security Screening Unit (UVO) for a Certificate of No Objection (Verklaring Geen Bezwaar); background check by KLM Security Services via the Judicial Documentation Service for criminal record and integrity issues; pre-employment medical at KLM Health Services including blood and urine tests for medication, alcohol and drugs → An internal file check and a reference check may also form part of the procedure → After successful selection: Type Rating Course on a KLM fleet type, allocated when training capacity allows → KLM Flight Academy cadet route runs a separate procedure. The Aviation Medical Center in Amsterdam conducts the first four parts over three non-consecutive days: pre-selection (personality questionnaires, intellectual capacity and sensorimotor tests), Phase 1 Basic Capacities Test (BCO, approx. 2 hours), Phase 2 Sensorimotor Test (SMO), Phase 3 Core Competency Test (KCO — psychologist interview, individual exercise, cooperation exercise); then Phase 4 TC/COVA interview (30-45 minutes) at KLM Schiphol. Progression is decided after each phase. Total duration approximately three to six months. KLMFA explicitly asks candidates not to take selection training, saying it can produce unnatural or socially desirable behaviour that prevents an accurate assessment.

KLM careers page · KLM interview preparation guideChecked 25 August 2026

NorwegianRecruiting

Norway

Two First Officer vacancies were live on Norwegian's own careers site when re-checked on 25 August 2026: 'First Officer B737' (Req. Id 2962) and 'Experienced Non Type Rated First Officers' (Req. Id 2976). Both ads carry a published application deadline of 31.08.2026. This status is therefore short-lived by construction: it is correct as at 25 August 2026 but expires on 31 August 2026, after which it should be treated as 'unknown' unless the careers page is re-checked. No Captain and no cadet vacancy was listed.

Entry routes: Direct entry First Officer (experienced, non-type-rated) - open, applications close 31.08.2026 · Type-rated First Officer (Boeing 737) - open, applications close 31.08.2026 · Graduate hiring from partner flight schools (OSM Aviation Academy, Center Air Pilot Academy, TFHS Lund, FTEJerez). Norwegian does NOT run its own cadet or ab-initio programme and there is no cadet application route on its careers site. Under a December 2024 agreement, Norwegian gets to know students during training at these independent schools and may offer jobs to graduates it considers a fit - no place, sponsorship or job is promised, and the training is bought from and paid to the school, not Norwegian. Whether this arrangement is still active in 2026 is not confirmed on any Norwegian page.

Fleet: Boeing 737 NG · Boeing 737 MAX

Selection process: Online application via Norwegian's careers portal, uploading a current CV and a cover letter → Confirmation email on submission, then screening of the application against the published minimum requirements → Invitation to an Assessment Day if qualifications and experience match current needs → Assessment Day: company presentation, group exercise, 2:1 interview, and a simulator session flown as both Pilot Flying and Pilot Monitoring → Outcome communicated shortly after the Assessment Day; unsuccessful candidates are invited to reapply after 12 months → Positive outcome may lead to an offer subject to operational needs and training capacity, or placement in Norwegian's pilot holding pool → Pre-employment checks before employment starts: security interview, drug and alcohol testing, licence verification, employment history validation

Norwegian careers page · Norwegian interview preparation guideChecked 25 August 2026

Ryanair GroupRecruiting

Ireland · Buzz bases across Poland · Lauda Europe: Vienna · London Stansted and Bergamo

9 live pilot/cadet vacancies were open on Ryanair's own application portal pilotjobs.ryanair.com when checked directly on 25 Aug 2026, and careers.ryanair.com states 'we currently have a number of open positions for experienced Pilots across the entire Group'. Re-verified against the live portal and each individual vacancy page on 25 Aug 2026. Ryanair does not publish posting or closing dates on its vacancy pages, so the only date attached to this is the date of observation (25 Aug 2026); the B737 Buzz ads say training courses commence 'this winter'. Note that 3 of the 9 listings are Challenger business-jet roles and 2 of those are 'Expression of Interest' only, not confirmed open crewing positions.

Entry routes: Direct Entry B737 Rated Captains (Buzz bases, Ryanair Group) · Direct Entry B737 Non-Type Rated Captains (Buzz bases, Ryanair Group) · Direct Entry B737 Non-Type Rated Experienced First Officers (Buzz bases, Ryanair Group) · A320 Rated & Airbus CCQ Experienced First Officers (Lauda Europe) · AFA B737 Cadet Pilots - self-sponsored type rating, bases throughout Europe & Ryanair UK (G-reg) · AFA B737 Cadet Pilots - UK partly-sponsored type rating programme (Ryanair DAC, EASA licence) · Ryanair Future Flyer Academy - part-sponsored training entered at one of three gateways: Gateway 0 (no previous flying experience), Gateway 1 (PPL holders with 100h PIC) and Gateway 2 (EASA frozen ATPL, CPL & ME/IR holders). Applications are made through Ryanair's approved training partner schools only, not through Ryanair · Challenger 350-3500 First Officers (London Stansted) - a live vacancy. Challenger 350-3500 Captains (London Stansted and Bergamo) are advertised as 'Expression of Interest' only, which is not a confirmed open position

Fleet: Boeing 737-800 NG · Airbus A320 · Boeing 737 MAX 10

Selection process: Apply online: create a candidate profile at pilotjobs.ryanair.com, upload all required documents and apply to the role → Application screening / shortlisting by the recruitment team → Phase 1 - Online assessment via AON (Work-Related Behavioural Assessment required by EASA CAT.GEN.MPA.175). €60 fee. Captains complete 1 task; experienced First Officers complete 4 tasks. Must be passed before the simulator stage → Phase 2 - One-day assessment at a Ryanair simulator centre in Europe: simulator assessment, technical interview and HR/in-person interview, including a psychological evaluation. For cadets this day runs as: pre-simulator briefing, company presentation, 45-minute B737-800 or B737-8200 FTD assessment as both PF and PM (basic handling, CRM, flight management), English language test, 30-minute technical assessment on current/previous types, and an approximately 30-minute personal interview → Result notified - cadets: 'within 7 working days after the selection day' (published on the cadet vacancy pages). For the experienced direct entry roles no notification timescale is published on the vacancy pages - Not published → Course booking - successful candidates are given a course start date and base confirmation

Ryanair Group careers page · Ryanair Group interview preparation guideChecked 25 August 2026

SASRecruiting

Sweden / Denmark / Norway (plus a UK base at London Heathrow) · Copenhagen · Stockholm Arlanda · Oslo · Bergen

Five pilot vacancies were live on SAS's own careers portal when checked on 2026-08-25: Experienced First Officer (Scandinavian bases), A320neo First Officer (London Heathrow), Direct Entry Captain A320 (Copenhagen), Direct Entry Captain E195 TR/NTR (all bases), and A320neo Captain (London Heathrow). SAS does not print posting or closing dates on its job pages, but the postings themselves are internally dated: the Experienced FO ad states 'First courses are planned for the Fall 2026', the Heathrow A320neo FO ad offers assessment dates 'available from August' through September with courses 'planned late 2026 and early 2027', and the DEC A320 ad states assessment invitations during summer/fall 2026 with employment beginning fall 2026/spring 2027.

Entry routes: Direct entry First Officer (non-type-rated) - 'Experienced First Officer', A320 and E195, Scandinavian bases · Type-rated First Officer - A320neo at London Heathrow (A320 type rating 'preferable', not mandatory) · Direct entry Captain - A320, Copenhagen · Direct entry Captain - E195, type-rated and non-type-rated both accepted, all bases · Direct entry Captain - A320neo, London Heathrow · Cadet / ab-initio - Cadet First Officer exists as a route but the posting currently shows 'this position has been filled'; not open when checked

Fleet: Airbus A320 family · Embraer E195 · Airbus A330 · Airbus A350

Selection process: CV / application screening → Online or video interview with a recruiter → Online tests - cognitive and personality assessments → Assessment day - group exercise, simulator session, and personal interview → Final checks - background screening, security interview, right-to-work verification, and drug & alcohol testing

SAS careers page · SAS interview preparation guideChecked 25 August 2026

Wizz AirRecruiting

Hungary · Budapest · Warsaw · Katowice · Krakow

Status is 'hiring' on two pieces of evidence re-confirmed on Wizz Air's own domain on 25 August 2026: (1) the general 'Pilot Application Form' vacancy is live on careers.wizzair.com and accepts all pilot categories, and (2) the cadet programmes publish explicit 2026 course start dates (WAPA 12/10/2026; She Can Fly 25 May 2026 and 12 October 2026). Evidence is NOT uniform across routes. Captain: the Pilot Jobs page lists Wizz Air Hungary Budapest assessment events on 25-26 August, 3-4 September and 23-24 September with open positions 'TR DEC, NTR DEC, TR DEC Program, NTR DEC Program' (Direct Entry Captain routes only), and Wizz Air Malta events in Rome 15-18 October and Spain 21-24 and 25-28 October — but ALL of these event dates are printed without a year. First Officer: no dated assessment event is advertised for the Hungary AOC at all, and the previously separate rated-FO postings are closed ('Sorry, this position has been filled'). Wizz Air UK shows 'No Recruitment Events at the moment'. A First Officer should read this as 'applications open, pool entry' — not as a confirmed active FO campaign.

Entry routes: Direct entry Captain — A320 type rated · Direct entry Captain — non-type-rated · Direct Entry Captain Program — Airbus FBW experience (upgrade programme) · Direct Entry Captain Program — turbojet (upgrade programme, incl. experienced FOs) · Direct entry First Officer — A320 type rated, experienced · Direct entry First Officer — non-type-rated, experienced · First Officer — A320 type rated, cadet level · First Officer — non-type-rated, cadet level · Cadet / ab-initio — Wizz Air Pilot Academy (WAPA), incl. WAPA Albania · Cadet / ab-initio — She Can Fly Programme (female applicants) · Cadet / ab-initio — Pathway Program (URBE Aero, Italy) — listing is live but STALE: see unverified

Fleet: A320ceo · A321ceo · A320neo · A321neo · A321XLR

Selection process: Submit the Pilot Application Form on careers.wizzair.com, selecting the AOC (Hungary, Malta or UK) — this cannot be changed later → Upload CV, scanned passport, flight crew licence, Class 1 medical certificate and pilot logbook → Complete the Pilot Scoring Form via a link sent by email (all mandatory fields must be filled for submission to succeed) → Recruitment team reviews the profile against the minimum requirements and, if eligible, sets the candidate to 'invited' status → Candidate is notified automatically when assessment slots open for their position category, then books a slot — registration for selection events is mandatory → Attend the selection event: Budapest for Wizz Air Hungary bases (two-day events); Wizz Air Malta captain events in Rome are completed in one day → Cadet / WAPA route only, as published by Wizz Air: (1) online pilot aptitude test (TestAir360), (2) online psychological assessment test, (3) group exercise in Budapest, (4) personal interview in Budapest on the same day, then financial and background checks. Each stage is subject to passing the previous one. → Unsuccessful candidates are given a 'freezing period' set by the assessors, and must contact Wizz Air to reactivate the application once it expires

Wizz Air careers page · Wizz Air interview preparation guideChecked 25 August 2026

Cadet and ab-initio routes only (2)

No direct-entry vacancy for licensed pilots. The way in is a cadet or ab-initio programme.

Lufthansa GroupCadet only

Germany · Frankfurt · Munich

Re-verified 25 Aug 2026 against Lufthansa Group's own job portal (apply.lufthansagroup.careers). Using the portal's official Pilot job-category filter (the same 'See Jobs' link the Lufthansa Group pilot careers page itself points to), 10 cockpit vacancies are live across the Group and NOT ONE is advertised by Deutsche Lufthansa AG. Separate keyword searches for 'pilot' and 'cockpit' also return no Deutsche Lufthansa AG cockpit vacancy (the only Deutsche Lufthansa AG results are non-flying roles: an Internship Flight Operations and two legal-trainee posts). The only pilot-entry applications open under the Lufthansa mainline brand are the ab-initio ATPL programme at the European Flight Academy, whose two listings on the Group portal (posted 04/10/2024 and 15/10/2024) are still live and whose 'Apply now' page is open, with the caveat published there: 'Currently, we have more applicants than selection spots, so unfortunately, you may have to expect some waiting time.' Direct-entry cockpit vacancies do exist elsewhere in the Group (SWISS, Edelweiss, Lufthansa City Airlines, Air Dolomiti) but those are separate AOCs and separate legal employers, not Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

Entry routes: Cadet / ab-initio - European Flight Academy ATPL programme (Lufthansa Group flight school); applications OPEN as at 25 Aug 2026, with published waiting time · Direct entry First Officer - NOT currently offered by Deutsche Lufthansa AG; no vacancy on the Group careers portal as at 25 Aug 2026 (live Group direct-entry FO vacancies are at SWISS - Direct Entry First Officer A320, posted 16/07/2026; Edelweiss - Direct Entry First Officer A320, posted 11/02/2026; and Lufthansa City Airlines - First Officer A220, posted 29/07/2025) · Type-rated First Officer - NOT currently offered by Deutsche Lufthansa AG; no vacancy published as at 25 Aug 2026 · Direct entry Captain - NOT currently offered by Deutsche Lufthansa AG; no vacancy published as at 25 Aug 2026 (live Group Captain vacancies are at Air Dolomiti - Direct Entry Captain, posted 24/06/2026; Lufthansa City Airlines - Captain A220/A320, posted 05/06/2025, and Fast Track Upgrade to Command A320, posted 30/07/2025; Edelweiss - Direct Entry Freelance Commander A350, posted 29/01/2026. All are separate Group airlines.)

Fleet: Airbus A319-100 · Airbus A320-200 · Airbus A320neo · Airbus A321-100/200 · Airbus A321neo · Airbus A330-300 · Airbus A340-300 · Airbus A340-600

Selection process: Step 0 - Book and sit the DLR test (Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt) at your own cost in Hamburg, Milan or Zurich; computer-based, covering memory, spatial understanding, English, mathematics, technical comprehension, psychomotor skills, multi-tasking and personality traits. A qualifying certificate rating is required before you may apply. → Step 1 - Online application to the European Flight Academy with the DLR certificate, CV, ID, school leaving certificate/Abitur and language certificates → Step 2 - Lufthansa Group Assessment (assessment centre); includes interviews, group exercises and psychomotor testing with psychologists present. EFA states the DLR competency areas 'will be - among other areas - part of Step 2 (LHG Assessment)' → Step 3 - EASA Class 1 aero-medical fitness examination, including a drug screening → Step 4 - Register for one of the next open flight-training slots (waiting time currently published as likely, more applicants than selection spots) → After training - an 'Airline Fit' interview with the prospective employer airline; then 3 months Line Flying Under Supervision (LIFUS) with a training captain, then the check flight to First Officer

Lufthansa Group careers page · Lufthansa Group interview preparation guideChecked 25 August 2026

Qatar AirwaysCadet only

Qatar · Doha

Re-checked live on the airline's own Avature careers portal on 25 August 2026. The 'Pilots & Flight Operations' job family returns exactly four live roles, none of them a mainline flight-deck job: Type Rated Captain - Qatar Executive BD700 (ref 240000AB, posted 07-04-2026, closes 30-11-2026), Helicopter Captain AW189 (ref 2600008V, posted 23-08-2026, closes 06-09-2026), Helicopter Captain AW139 (ref 2600008W, posted 23-08-2026, closes 06-09-2026) and a Senior Pilot Selection Assessor recruiter role (ref 235423, posted 11-08-2026, closes 25-08-2026). There is NO Direct Entry First Officer and NO Direct Entry Captain vacancy for mainline Qatar Airways, and the former direct-entry job URL (Type Rated First Officer Airbus, /JobDetail/Type-Rated-First-Officer-Airbus/49481) was confirmed by direct request to return HTTP 404. The Cadet Pilot Training Programme page (ref 250000KA, Qatari nationals only) still loads on the airline's own domain, but IMPORTANT CAVEAT: it did not appear in the Pilots & Flight Operations job-family listing, and no posting or closing date could be confirmed from the page itself - a job-detail page can stay reachable by direct URL after it stops being advertised. Treat even the cadet route as 'page live, open status unconfirmed'. The 'cadet-only' status therefore rests on a firmly verified negative (no mainline direct entry vacancy exists today) plus a partially verified positive (the cadet advert page loads).

Entry routes: Cadet / ab-initio - Cadet Pilot Training Programme, Qatari nationals only (or applicant's mother is a Qatari National). Job page loads on the airline's own domain as of 25 Aug 2026; posting and closing dates NOT confirmed and the advert did not appear in the Pilots & Flight Operations listing. · Mainline Direct Entry First Officer - NO live vacancy on the airline's own portal as of 25 Aug 2026. The former advert URL returns HTTP 404. · Mainline Direct Entry Captain - NO live vacancy on the airline's own portal as of 25 Aug 2026. · Qatar Executive (business-jet charter subsidiary, NOT mainline airline flying): Type Rated Captain BD-700 - OPEN, verified live 25 Aug 2026, closes 30-11-2026. · Qatar Airways Group helicopter operation (NOT mainline airline flying): Helicopter Captain AW139 / AW189 - OPEN, verified live 25 Aug 2026, close 06-09-2026. Requirements not extracted.

Fleet: Airbus A320 · Airbus A330-200 · Airbus A330-300 · Airbus A350-900 · Airbus A350-1000 · Airbus A380 · Boeing 777-200LR · Boeing 777-300ER

Selection process: MAINLINE DIRECT ENTRY: Qatar Airways publishes NOTHING about its direct-entry pilot selection stages on its own site, and there is no live advert to publish them in. Multi-stage processes described by aggregators and forums (aptitude/PSA testing, ATPL knowledge exam, technical interview, HR and psychologist panel, simulator assessment, Doha medical, roadshow assessment events) come from those third parties, NOT from the airline, and are not verified here. → CADET PROGRAMME - Stage 1 (Initial Shortlisted Candidates): submit all data and documents; Qatar Airways reviews the application; if initially shortlisted the applicant is notified to undergo pre-selection assessment tests, then is invited to a personal interview with the Qatar Airways selection panel. → CADET PROGRAMME - Stage 2 (Selected Candidates): notified in writing, then must supply supporting documentation including Ministry of Education and Ministry of Labour letters, a QCAA Class 1 medical certificate, a Police Clearance (CID) Certificate, Guarantor financial documents, a Qatari local bank IBAN certificate and passport documents. → CADET PROGRAMME - final step: the student and the Guarantor jointly sign the Scholarship Contract with Qatar Airways.

Qatar Airways careers page · Qatar Airways interview preparation guideChecked 25 August 2026

Status not confirmed (2)

We could not establish a current recruitment status from the airline’s own published material. That is not the same as "not hiring" — check the careers page directly.

ITA AirwaysUnconfirmed

Italy · Rome Fiumicino · Milan Linate

DOWNGRADED from 'cadet-only' to 'unknown' on 25 August 2026. Reason: no pilot application route can be verified as open. What IS solidly established, from ITA Airways' own press release dated Rome, 16 July 2026 (text re-read and verified verbatim on 25 Aug 2026): ITA has begun planning its first Multi Pilot Licence (MPL) ab-initio courses, ~280 pilots over four years, 21-month courses, selection starting in July 2026 and first courses starting October 2026. That press release links to exactly one application page, career.ita-airways.com/job/CORSO-MPL/912-it_IT/ (link target extracted from the PDF itself and confirmed identical). As re-checked on 25 August 2026 that page returns 'Impossibile visualizzare questo lavoro perche non e disponibile al momento' ('this job cannot be displayed because it is not available at this time'), and a keyword search of ITA's own career portal for pilot / pilota / comandante / MPL / cadet / first officer returns NO pilot vacancies. ITA publishes no direct-entry First Officer or Captain route at all. So the position is: a real, funded cadet programme exists, but there is NO open pilot application to send anyone to today, and ITA publishes no date for a further intake. Whether the MPL window is closed between intakes, permanently closed, or merely offline in error is NOT published anywhere - which is why the status is 'unknown' rather than 'cadet-only'. Do not present ITA Airways to a pilot as currently recruiting.

Entry routes: Cadet / ab-initio (Multi Pilot Licence, MPL) - the only pilot entry route ITA Airways publishes; application window appears CLOSED as of 25 Aug 2026 · Direct entry First Officer - NOT published by ITA Airways; no vacancy and no requirements on the official portal · Type-rated First Officer - NOT published · Direct entry Captain - NOT published

Fleet: A220-100 · A220-300 · A320neo · A321neo · A330-900neo · A350-900

Selection process: Application via ITA Airways' own career portal (career.ita-airways.com) - the MPL posting was published there and linked from the 16 July 2026 press release; that posting is currently closed → DLR aptitude certification ('certificazione DLR') - psychometric/aptitude assessment, required to take part in the selection → Verification of published eligibility: minimum age 17, secondary school diploma or equivalent, excellent spoken and written Italian and English → Selection and recruitment run in-house by ITA Airways specialised teams (per ITA press release) - the individual stages, their order and the pass criteria are NOT published → On success: 21-month MPL training course - theoretical training, live flying, latest-generation simulators and ITA company operating-procedure training, with first courses starting October 2026

ITA Airways careers page · ITA Airways interview preparation guideChecked 25 August 2026

Turkish AirlinesUnconfirmed

Turkey

As of 25 Aug 2026 Turkish Airlines' own careers portal (careers.turkishairlines.com) lists ZERO open positions in every category, including Cockpit Crew — the page renders its explicit 'no postings' empty state with a 'Remind Me When There Are Vacant Positions' button, on both the EN and TR versions. The dedicated cockpit application portal (apply.turkishairlines.com) redirects its 'Jobs' link to that same empty list, and the Announcements page is empty. No dated statement of hiring, pooling or pausing is published anywhere on THY's own domains, so status is reported as unknown rather than inferred. THY has no standing pilot advert: recruitment runs in campaign windows, so an empty list today does not mean the door is shut — it means there is nothing open to apply to right now.

Entry routes: Cadet / ab-initio (Take-Off Cadet, trained at Turkish Airlines Flight Academy) — the only route with published criteria · Direct entry First Officer (listed by THY as a hiring category; no criteria published) · Direct entry Captain (listed by THY as a hiring category; no criteria published) · Simulator Flight Instructor (SFI) (listed by THY as a hiring category; no criteria published)

Selection process: Experienced pilots — 3-day screening, Monday to Wednesday inclusive of the medical, travel and accommodation paid by Turkish Airlines: → 1. CRM / Group Assessment Application: psychometric assessment → 2. Document and License Check: validity and compliance with the criteria is checked → 3. Simulator Check: assessment of flying skills → 4. Panel Interview: competency-based interview → 5. Medical Check: at a private medical institution, covered by Turkish Airlines (fit-to-fly report from an authorised centre) → Result communicated within 1-3 weeks after the assessment process → Cadet (Take-Off Cadet) — separate process: Online English exam, Psychometric Test Assessments, Competency Assessment, HR and Business Unit Technical Assessment, then health stages

Turkish Airlines careers page · Turkish Airlines interview preparation guideChecked 25 August 2026

Not currently recruiting (4)

No open pilot vacancy and no open pool found at the last check.

Aer LingusNot recruiting

Ireland · Dublin

Both published pilot routes are closed to applications. The airline's own Direct Entry Pilots page states verbatim 'Applications for the 2025/26 Direct Entry Pilot Programme are now closed. Thank you for your interest.' and its Future Pilot Programme page states 'The Future Pilot Programme is now closed for applications.' Both pages were read directly on aerlingus.com on 25 August 2026. The Aer Lingus Media Centre press-release listing for 2026 (most recent item 17 June 2026, listing checked back to 19 February 2026) contains no pilot-recruitment announcement. No reopening date, candidate pool or expression-of-interest facility is published for either route.

Entry routes: Type-rated Direct Entry First Officer (the essential criteria list an Airbus type rating) - CLOSED as of 25 Aug 2026 · Cadet / ab-initio - Future Pilot Programme, fully sponsored, leads to MPL - CLOSED as of 25 Aug 2026

Fleet: Airbus A320 family · Airbus A321neo LR/XLR · Airbus A330

Selection process: Direct Entry - Stage 1: online application form submitted by the published deadline (last campaign: 23:59 Monday 06 October 2025), including all specified documents; an acknowledgement email confirms a valid application → Direct Entry - Stage 2: applications thoroughly screened → Direct Entry - Stage 3: online assessments, with a 72-hour window to complete once the link is issued → Direct Entry - Stage 4: group assessment stage held in Dublin (last campaign: from 20 October 2025); candidates may be asked to retake the online assessments at the assessment centre; no flexibility on assessment dates is offered → Direct Entry - Stage 5: background check, company medical and intoxicant screening; two verifiable references → Future Pilot Programme - Stage 1: online application by the published deadline (last campaign: 10:00 GMT Monday 10 February 2025) → Future Pilot Programme - Stage 2: screening, then online assessments with a 72-hour completion window → Future Pilot Programme - Stage 3: group assessment stage in Dublin (last campaign: Monday 24 March to Friday 11 April 2025), with verification of Leaving Certificate / equivalent qualifications; online assessments may be retaken → Future Pilot Programme - Stage 4: EASA/IAA Class 1 medical and an Aer Lingus pre-course medical

Aer Lingus careers page · Aer Lingus interview preparation guideChecked 25 August 2026

IberiaNot recruiting

Spain · Madrid

No pilot vacancy is open. Checked live on 25 Aug 2026: Iberia's own careers portal pilot category states 'En este momento, no hay ninguna vacante acorde a esta categoria o ubicacion' (0 vacancies), the searchable portal returns 0 results for 'cadete', and the last direct-entry vacancy page now returns 'Lo sentimos, esta posicion ya esta cubierta'. All three checks were made directly on trabajaconnosotros.iberia.es today.

Entry routes: Direct entry First Officer ('pilotos de nuevo ingreso') - non-type-rated, 500h on CS-25 aeroplanes, base Madrid. Last run announced 09 Jul 2025 with applications reported to close 31 Dec 2025; the vacancy page now shows the position as filled. · Cadet / ab-initio - 'Iberia Cadetes' integrated ATPL with FTEJerez, 50% of the course cost financed by Iberia and repaid from salary once flying for Iberia. 6th edition opened 23 Feb 2026 and closed in early March 2026. Closed as of 25 Aug 2026.

Fleet: A319 · A320ceo · A320neo · A321 · A321XLR · A330-200 · A330-300 · A350

Selection process: Online application via Iberia's own careers portal (trabajaconnosotros.iberia.es) - the only accepted channel → Screening / pre-selection against the published requirements → Assessment testing, run in a staged manner and in groups; pre-selected candidates are contacted by email with the date, time and venue of the tests → Iberia does not publish the individual assessment stages beyond this - see 'unverified' for what could not be confirmed

Iberia careers page · Iberia interview preparation guideChecked 25 August 2026

TAP Air PortugalNot recruiting

Portugal · Lisbon · Porto

No pilot vacancies are open on TAP's own recruitment portal: the Pilots category page states "There are currently no open positions matching this category or location" and "Spontaneous applications for First Officer are not accepted. We'll post an announcement when new opportunities for this feature arise" (checked 25 August 2026, same text in the Portuguese version). TAP's own category RSS feed, with a lastBuildDate of Tue, 25 Aug 2026, returns "No jobs currently available". The most recent pilot campaign, competition ref. OP6NOV2025 (announced 6 November 2025, applications closing 10 November 2025), now returns "Lamentamos, esta vaga ja foi preenchida" ("we are sorry, this vacancy has already been filled") on TAP's own job page, and its governing regulation limited it to Company Integration Courses starting up to 30 April 2026 - a validity window that has now expired.

Entry routes: Direct entry First Officer ("Oficial Piloto") - the only pilot route TAP publishes on its own careers site; recruited via periodic public competitions ("concursos") open to both internal and external candidates. Currently closed. · Type-rated FO - not a separate route. A319/A320/A321 experience was not listed as a minimum requirement in the closed OP6NOV2025 campaign, and in TAP's regulation it functions as a CV-ranking score (>1,500 h on type = 12 pts; >800 h on type in the last 24 months = 10 pts; >400 h = 5 pts). Confirmed as a scoring rule (clause 6.1); its absence as an eligibility bar rests on the offline announcement, so treat it as likely, not certain. · Cadet / ab-initio - no TAP-run cadet or ab-initio programme is published on TAP's own site. A graduate-placement agreement with FTEJerez exists but was announced in March 2019 and is not confirmed as currently active. · Direct entry Captain - not published. TAP's careers site lists only "Oficial Piloto" / First Officer; command appears to be filled internally.

Fleet: Airbus A320-200neo · Airbus A321-200neo · Airbus A321-200LR · Airbus A330-900neo · Airbus A319-100 · Airbus A320-200 · Airbus A321-200 · Airbus A330-200

Selection process: Online application through recrutamento.tap.pt with all mandatory documentation by the published closing date; eligibility is frozen at that date. → Pre-selection: documentary and eligibility screening by the Talent Attraction team. Rejected candidates are told which requirement was missing and have a short window to appeal. → Phase 1 - CV scoring and ranking, on the application file only: points for A319/A320/A321 experience and recency, total flight hours weighted by aircraft complexity (high-performance types x0.003, other types x0.001), completed degrees (4 pts if they include maths or physics, 2 pts otherwise), and aeronautical English Level 5 or 6. A provisional ranked list is published and can be appealed within 2 working days. → Phase 2 - three sequential eliminatory assessments, each graded only APTO / NAO APTO: (a) written Aeronautical Assessment run by Flight Operations / Training, pass mark 75%; (b) Psychological Assessment run by HR; (c) Medical Assessment run by UCS. External or previous equivalent test results are not accepted. → Phase 3 - full-flight simulator check including a theoretical evaluation, followed by a final interview with the Selection Jury (Flight Operations Director, Training Director, Chief Pilot, HR Director), which makes the final approve/reject decision. → Post-selection, all eliminatory: Company Integration Course (CIE), then A320-family type-rating / conversion training, then LIFUS and a Line Check. The employment contract is signed during the LIFUS phase; final seniority is set by a weighted score across questionnaire, simulator, evaluation, LIFUS and line check.

TAP Air Portugal careers page · TAP Air Portugal interview preparation guideChecked 25 August 2026

VuelingNot recruiting

Spain · Barcelona-El Prat · Bilbao · Málaga · Palma de Mallorca

No pilot vacancy is open on Vueling's own careers site as of 25 Aug 2026. Three Vueling-owned endpoints were checked live on that date and all agree: the Pilots landing page shows 'No matching jobs'; the Pilots department page shows 'No matching jobs' and 'Closed Call. Connect with us to be notified.'; and the site's own jobs RSS feed lists roughly a dozen live vacancies (newest posted 20 Aug 2026), none of them flight crew. The last direct-entry call, 'First Officer A320 - 2026', now returns 'This position is no longer active. Either the position was filled, or the ad has expired.' The FTEJerez cadet route is also shut: 'The Vueling MAPS will return, but is currently closed for applications' (checked live 25 Aug 2026). An expression-of-interest 'Connect' talent pool for the Pilots department remains open. 'paused' rather than 'unknown' is used here because the closure is evidenced by dated, airline-owned pages checked today — not by inference.

Entry routes: Direct entry First Officer A320 (non-type-rated accepted — frozen ATPL is sufficient; A320 experience listed only as 'an advantage'). Currently CLOSED. · Cadet / ab-initio via Vueling MAPS (Mentored Airline Pilot Scheme) with FTEJerez, MPL syllabus including A320 type rating. Currently CLOSED for applications. · Direct entry Captain — NOT published. No direct-entry Captain vacancy was found on careers.vueling.com or in any source seen during this research. This is an absence of evidence, not a confirmed Vueling policy that it never recruits Captains directly.

Fleet: A319 · A320 family · A321

Selection process: Not published on Vueling's own careers site — the First Officer A320 vacancy listed eligibility requirements only, with no description of assessment stages. → Vueling does publish that an 'Operator Conversion Course' (OCC) follows selection, and that the Spanish EASA licence and ICAO English Level 4 must be held before the OCC begins. → REPORTED BY THIRD PARTIES, UNVERIFIED: aircraft general knowledge and operational procedures test → REPORTED BY THIRD PARTIES, UNVERIFIED: English written and listening assessment → REPORTED BY THIRD PARTIES, UNVERIFIED: psychometric testing → REPORTED BY THIRD PARTIES, UNVERIFIED: personal interview and role-play exercise → REPORTED BY THIRD PARTIES, UNVERIFIED: simulator assessment

Vueling careers page · Vueling interview preparation guideChecked 25 August 2026

Common questions

Which airlines are hiring pilots right now? Of the 17 airlines tracked on this page, 9 had a live pilot vacancy or a dated recruitment statement on their own careers page when last checked on 25 August 2026. Recruitment status changes without notice, so the airline's own careers page is always the authority.

How many flight hours do I need to become an airline pilot? It varies widely by airline and by role. Among the airlines listed here, direct-entry first officer minima range from no published total-time minimum to 2,000 hours, and captain minima from 3,000 to 7,000 hours. Several airlines publish no figure at all. Each airline's published requirement is listed in its section above.

Can I get an airline job with low hours? Sometimes, but usually through a cadet or ab-initio programme rather than a direct-entry vacancy. Several airlines on this page have no low-hours direct-entry route at all — below their published minimum, the cadet programme is the only way in.

Do I need a type rating before applying? It depends on the airline. Some require you to hold and be current on the type, some provide the rating (occasionally bonded), and some accept non-type-rated applicants. The type rating position for each airline is listed above.

How often is this page updated? The board is reviewed regularly and every airline shows the date its details were last checked. Anything more than a few weeks old should be confirmed on the airline's own careers page before you rely on it.