Airline Pilot Jobs in Europe 2026: 43 Airlines, 19 Recruiting Now

Europe is the world’s most open First Officer market and one of its most closed Captain markets. No regulator sets a First Officer hours minimum, so a frozen ATPL — CPL, multi-engine IR and all ATPL theory passed — is the entry ticket and each airline sets its own floor: nothing at Air France, 70 hours in command at Aegean, 100 hours as a Second Officer at Jet2, 500 on multi-crew aircraft at KLM and SAS, 700 at Ryanair. Of the 43 European airlines on our board, 19 were recruiting at the last check, 18 taking First Officer applications and 11 taking Captains — almost all of the latter low-cost or regional carriers.

The traps are administrative rather than aeronautical. Since Brexit the UK carriers — British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Jet2, easyJet’s Gatwick Captains, Loganair — want a UK CAA licence, and an EASA licence alone does not meet the published criteria. The flag carriers want the local language: French at Air France and Transavia France, Dutch at B2 before selection at KLM, German at C1 for Lufthansa’s academy and B2 at SWISS, fluent Finnish at Finnair, Spanish at level 5 at Iberia, a Scandinavian language at Widerøe. And several of the biggest names — Lufthansa, ITA Airways, Aer Lingus, TAP — were taking nobody experienced when we last checked: cadets or no one.

NEW · INSTANT PDF DOWNLOAD

Interview study guides for Europe airlines

One guide per airline for First Officer candidates: the airline, its selection process stage by stage, interview questions with answer guidance, and the technical knowledge the panel tests. €4.99 each, or all 10 for €19.99. Instant PDF download; no refunds once delivered.

RyanairBoeing 737 Type Rated First Officer
28-page PDF · 69 interview questionsGET THE PDF · €4.99 →Jet2Boeing 737 First Officer
31-page PDF · 69 interview questionsGET THE PDF · €4.99 →easyJetA320 Direct Entry First Officer
29-page PDF · 65 interview questionsGET THE PDF · €4.99 →Wizz AirA320 Family First Officer
29-page PDF · 64 interview questionsGET THE PDF · €4.99 →British AirwaysA320 Direct Entry First Officer
30-page PDF · 66 interview questionsGET THE PDF · €4.99 →

Who is hiring now (19 of 43)

First Officer routes (18)

Airlines in Europe taking First Officer applications or holding a First Officer pool at the last check.

• Aegean Airlines Recruiting
  Non-rated First Officers with an EASA CPL/ATPL theory, ME IR, 70 h PIC, MCC and Advanced UPRT — deadline 30 September 2026 — careers page
• Air France Recruiting
  Direct-entry FO open, no hours minimum — but EEA/Swiss and fluent French are hard gates — careers page
• Binter Recruiting
  Non-rated E195-E2 First Officers with a CPL or MPL, IR, MCC and ATPL theory; ATR-rated crews; Spanish level 5 required — careers page
• British Airways Recruiting
  Campaign-based: BA Euroflyer ran a 2026 First Officer campaign at Gatwick for rated and non-type-rated pilots; command is by seniority. Check careers.ba.com for which listings are open. — careers page · Study guide (PDF, €4.99)
• Condor Recruiting
  All-Airbus now (A320neo / A330neo): First Officers with EASA ATPL/CPL-IR/MPL, German and English Level 4, German work rights; 24-month MPL via TFC — careers page
• Edelweiss Recruiting
  Type-rated Airbus First Officers only, based in Zurich: A320 with 1,000 h on type, or A330/A340/A350 with an ATPL; German at C1 — careers page
• Enter Air Recruiting
  Low-hours B737 First Officers from 200 h with a CPL, frozen ATPL, ME/IR and MCC; type-rating course from November 2026 in Warsaw — careers page
• Eurowings Recruiting
  A320-family First Officers, rated or non-rated (e.g. Prague under the WINGS Pattern), plus direct-entry and fast-track Captains from 4,000 h on 19.5 t+ aircraft — careers page
• Jet2.com Recruiting
  Every rank open across 11 UK bases: Second Officer from 100 h multi-crew, First Officer 500 h on 10 t+ jets/turboprops, Captain 3,000 h with 1,000 h PIC; UK licence, ELP 5 — careers page · Study guide (PDF, €4.99)
• KLM Recruiting
  Dutch at CEFR B2 before selection; Dutch-issued licence and medical at own cost — careers page
• Lufthansa City Airlines Recruiting
  A220 First Officers from 500 h on CS-25 (rated or experienced on other types), A220/A320 Captains rated or non-rated, and a fast-track upgrade to command — Munich and, from spring 2026, Frankfurt — careers page
• Ryanair Group Recruiting
  No low-hour direct entry FO route: under 700 h, the cadet programme is the only way in — careers page · Study guide (PDF, €4.99)
• SAS Recruiting
  FO minimum is 400 h on CS/FAR-25 aircraft, not 400 h total - not a low-hours route — careers page
• Smartwings Recruiting
  Non-rated B737 First Officers with CPL/ATPL theory, 70 h PIC and UPRT; rated B737 Captains from 4,000 h with 300 h in command on type — careers page
• SWISS International Air Lines Recruiting
  Direct Entry First Officer A320 and A330 vacancies on the Lufthansa Group portal; EASA ATPL/CPL-IR/MPL, German B2, Swiss Matura-level education — careers page
• Virgin Atlantic Recruiting
  First Officer & Senior First Officer – Airbus posting: 1,500 h on multi-pilot 10 t+ aircraft, current on A320/A330/A340/A350/A380, ICAO English 6 — careers page
• Wizz Air Recruiting
  Dated assessment events are Captain-only; FO applications go into the pool. — careers page · Study guide (PDF, €4.99)
• Helvetic Airways Talent pool
  Applications to the Copilot and Commander pools on the Embraer E1/E2 at Zurich; cadet programme with Horizon Swiss Flight Academy — careers page

Captain routes (11)

Airlines in Europe taking Captains from outside. See the direct entry Captain page for the published minimums side by side.

• Binter Recruiting
  Non-rated E195-E2 First Officers with a CPL or MPL, IR, MCC and ATPL theory; ATR-rated crews; Spanish level 5 required — careers page
• easyJet Recruiting
  Captains only - no live FO or cadet vacancy; Gatwick roles need a UK CAA licence — careers page · Study guide (PDF, €4.99)
• Eurowings Recruiting
  A320-family First Officers, rated or non-rated (e.g. Prague under the WINGS Pattern), plus direct-entry and fast-track Captains from 4,000 h on 19.5 t+ aircraft — careers page
• Jet2.com Recruiting
  Every rank open across 11 UK bases: Second Officer from 100 h multi-crew, First Officer 500 h on 10 t+ jets/turboprops, Captain 3,000 h with 1,000 h PIC; UK licence, ELP 5 — careers page · Study guide (PDF, €4.99)
• Loganair Recruiting
  Direct Entry Captains only at the last check, plus an Airline Returners Programme; a non-rated “Newly Qualified First Officer” listing exists but its currency is unclear — careers page
• Lufthansa City Airlines Recruiting
  A220 First Officers from 500 h on CS-25 (rated or experienced on other types), A220/A320 Captains rated or non-rated, and a fast-track upgrade to command — Munich and, from spring 2026, Frankfurt — careers page
• Ryanair Group Recruiting
  No low-hour direct entry FO route: under 700 h, the cadet programme is the only way in — careers page · Study guide (PDF, €4.99)
• SAS Recruiting
  FO minimum is 400 h on CS/FAR-25 aircraft, not 400 h total - not a low-hours route — careers page
• Smartwings Recruiting
  Non-rated B737 First Officers with CPL/ATPL theory, 70 h PIC and UPRT; rated B737 Captains from 4,000 h with 300 h in command on type — careers page
• Wizz Air Recruiting
  Dated assessment events are Captain-only; FO applications go into the pool. — careers page · Study guide (PDF, €4.99)
• Helvetic Airways Talent pool
  Applications to the Copilot and Commander pools on the Embraer E1/E2 at Zurich; cadet programme with Horizon Swiss Flight Academy — careers page

Cadet and pathway routes (27)

Routes that start before a licence, as each airline describes them. The cadet programmes page explains who pays and who is eligible.

• Air France
  Cadet / ab-initio (filiere 'Pilote Cadet') - fully funded training, applications closed (2026 window ran 15 June - 31 July 2026)
• British Airways
  Speedbird Pilot Academy — BA’s funded cadet route, seen in search results on 21 September 2026 (outside our study-guide research; confirm intake dates and terms on careers.ba.com)
• Condor
  MPL(A) cadet programme with TFC (24 months, A320/A321 rating)
• easyJet
  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
• Edelweiss
  Ab-initio airline pilot route — Edelweiss publishes a factsheet (terms not captured)
• Eurowings
  Ab-initio via European Flight Academy
• Jet2.com
  Second Officer — 100 h on multi-engine multi-crew aircraft, frozen ATPL or MPL · Jet2FlightPath cadet programme
• KLM
  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. · 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.
• Ryanair Group
  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)
• SAS
  Cadet / ab-initio - Cadet First Officer exists as a route but the posting currently shows 'this position has been filled'; not open when checked
• SWISS International Air Lines
  Ab-initio via European Flight Academy (Swiss AviationTraining)
• Wizz Air
  First Officer — A320 type rated, cadet level · First Officer — non-type-rated, cadet level
• Helvetic Airways
  Airline Pilot Cadet Program (APCP) — ab-initio with Horizon Swiss Flight Academy and a preliminary contract on admission; Swiss citizens, or EU-25/EFTA citizens with a B or C permit
• Lufthansa Group
  Cadet / ab-initio - European Flight Academy ATPL programme (Lufthansa Group flight school); applications OPEN as at 25 Aug 2026, with published waiting time
• airBaltic
  airBaltic Pilot Academy — ab-initio
• Austrian Airlines
  Ab-initio via European Flight Academy
• Brussels Airlines
  MPL Cadet Program — no prior flying experience, 19 months to A320 First Officer
• Discover Airlines
  Ab-initio via European Flight Academy
• Icelandair
  Cadet pilot programme — periodic
• ITA Airways
  Cadet / ab-initio (Multi Pilot Licence, MPL) - the only pilot entry route ITA Airways publishes; application window appears CLOSED as of 25 Aug 2026
• Luxair
  Pilot Cadet Program — Luxair pre-finances flight-school costs up to €80,000 and housing up to €24,000; training in English at schools in Mönchengladbach (Germany) and near Barcelona (Spain)
• Pegasus Airlines
  Non-rated First Officer / cadet — periodic
• TUI Airline (TUI Airways, TUI fly)
  MPL cadet — no 2026 intake
• Turkish Airlines
  Cadet / ab-initio (Take-Off Cadet, trained at Turkish Airlines Flight Academy) — the only route with published criteria
• Widerøe
  Partner-school graduates (OSM Aviation Academy)
• Aer Lingus
  Cadet / ab-initio - Future Pilot Programme, fully sponsored, leads to MPL - CLOSED as of 25 Aug 2026
• Iberia
  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.

Requirements in Europe: what to expect

• Licence: EASA Part-FCL ATPL, frozen ATPL (CPL/IR/ME with ATPL theory) or MPL; UK CAA equivalents for UK-registered airlines. An FAA ATP has to be converted.
• Hours: no regulatory minimum for First Officers; airline floors from zero to about 800 hours for non-rated entry, 1,500 multi-crew hours for long-haul (BA, Virgin Atlantic, Cargolux). Several airlines factorise hours by aircraft class.
• Type rating: provided by most airlines, usually against a bond of around three years; a few routes are self-funded (Ryanair’s AFA cadet stream). Rated-only streams exist for A320 Captains and long-haul First Officers.
• Right to work: EU/EEA or Swiss for EU airlines, UK for UK airlines. Visa sponsorship is rare; Wizz Air names a few non-EU nationalities it accepts.
• Language: the local language at most flag carriers (French, Dutch, German, Finnish, Spanish, Scandinavian); English only at the low-cost carriers and the UK airlines.
• Medical and English: EASA or UK Class 1; ICAO English 4 as a minimum, 5 at Jet2, 6 expected at BA and Virgin Atlantic.

Every airline in Europe (43)

• Aegean Airlines Recruiting
  Non-rated First Officers with an EASA CPL/ATPL theory, ME IR, 70 h PIC, MCC and Advanced UPRT — deadline 30 September 2026
  Licence: EASA CPL+ATPL theory · ME IR · MCC/UPRT · Hours: 70 h PIC · Type rating: Not required · provided · Right to work: EU unrestricted — careers page
• Air France Recruiting
  Direct-entry FO open, no hours minimum — but EEA/Swiss and fluent French are hard gates
  Licence: ATPL or CPL/IRME + EU ATPL theory · MCC · Hours: No minimum · 70 h PIC if no CS-25 rating · Type rating: Provided · no bond published · Right to work: EEA or Swiss · no sponsorship — careers page
• Binter Recruiting
  Non-rated E195-E2 First Officers with a CPL or MPL, IR, MCC and ATPL theory; ATR-rated crews; Spanish level 5 required
  Licence: CPL/MPL + ATPL theory · IR · MCC · Hours: No minimum · MPL: 70 h PIC · Type rating: E-2: not required · Right to work: Not published · Spanish level 5 — careers page
• British Airways Recruiting
  Campaign-based: BA Euroflyer ran a 2026 First Officer campaign at Gatwick for rated and non-type-rated pilots; command is by seniority. Check careers.ba.com for which listings are open.
  Licence: UK CAA ATPL (or conversion under way) · Hours: 500 h or 100 sectors on type (rated F/O) · Type rating: Funded (Euroflyer non-rated) · Right to work: UK — careers page · Study guide (PDF, €4.99)
• Condor Recruiting
  All-Airbus now (A320neo / A330neo): First Officers with EASA ATPL/CPL-IR/MPL, German and English Level 4, German work rights; 24-month MPL via TFC
  Licence: EASA ATPL / CPL-IR / MPL · Hours: Not published · Type rating: Preferred · Right to work: Germany · German L4 — careers page
• easyJet Recruiting
  Captains only - no live FO or cadet vacancy; Gatwick roles need a UK CAA licence
  Licence: UK CAA licence · EASA for Marrakesh role · Hours: Capt only: 4,000 h · 500 h on A320 · Type rating: A320 held, or trained · funding options · Right to work: UK · EU for Marrakesh role — careers page · Study guide (PDF, €4.99)
• Edelweiss Recruiting
  Type-rated Airbus First Officers only, based in Zurich: A320 with 1,000 h on type, or A330/A340/A350 with an ATPL; German at C1
  Licence: EASA ATPL · Airbus rating · Hours: 1,000 h on A320 · 1,800 h for A350 fast track · Type rating: Required · Right to work: Not published · German C1 — careers page
• Enter Air Recruiting
  Low-hours B737 First Officers from 200 h with a CPL, frozen ATPL, ME/IR and MCC; type-rating course from November 2026 in Warsaw
  Licence: CPL + frozen ATPL · ME/IR · MCC · Hours: 200 h · Type rating: B737 trained · training agreement · Right to work: Not published — careers page
• Eurowings Recruiting
  A320-family First Officers, rated or non-rated (e.g. Prague under the WINGS Pattern), plus direct-entry and fast-track Captains from 4,000 h on 19.5 t+ aircraft
  Licence: EASA ATPL / CPL-IR / MPL · Hours: FO see vacancy · 4,000 h fast-track Capt · Type rating: A320 provided · Right to work: EU / EEA — careers page
• Jet2.com Recruiting
  Every rank open across 11 UK bases: Second Officer from 100 h multi-crew, First Officer 500 h on 10 t+ jets/turboprops, Captain 3,000 h with 1,000 h PIC; UK licence, ELP 5
  Licence: UK ATPL / fATPL / MPL · Hours: 100 h SO · 500 h FO · 3,000 h Capt · Type rating: Rated or non-rated · Right to work: UK · ELP 5 — careers page · Study guide (PDF, €4.99)
• KLM Recruiting
  Dutch at CEFR B2 before selection; Dutch-issued licence and medical at own cost
  Licence: EASA (frozen) ATPL(A) + MPA type rating · Hours: 500 h ME + 150 h/12 mth · 1,000 h B747F · Type rating: MPA rating required · KLM assigns fleet · Right to work: EU passport · EEA/CH unconfirmed — careers page
• Loganair Recruiting
  Direct Entry Captains only at the last check, plus an Airline Returners Programme; a non-rated “Newly Qualified First Officer” listing exists but its currency is unclear
  Licence: UK CAA ATPL / CPL-IR · Hours: Not published · Type rating: Provided · Right to work: UK — careers page
• Lufthansa City Airlines Recruiting
  A220 First Officers from 500 h on CS-25 (rated or experienced on other types), A220/A320 Captains rated or non-rated, and a fast-track upgrade to command — Munich and, from spring 2026, Frankfurt
  Licence: EASA CPL/IR + ATPL theory · MPL · Hours: 500 h CS-25 (FO) · Type rating: A220 rated or other types · Right to work: EU / EEA · German — careers page
• Ryanair Group Recruiting
  No low-hour direct entry FO route: under 700 h, the cadet programme is the only way in
  Licence: EASA Part-FCL: CPL/frozen ATPL + ME/IR · Hours: 70–100 h PIC cadet · 700 h FO · 3,500 h Capt · Type rating: Non-rated routes OK · cadets pay · Right to work: EU · UK for the UK cadet route — careers page · Study guide (PDF, €4.99)
• SAS Recruiting
  FO minimum is 400 h on CS/FAR-25 aircraft, not 400 h total - not a low-hours route
  Licence: EASA CPL(A)/MPL · ATPL(A) for Captain · Hours: 400 h CS/FAR-25 (FO) · 3,000 h (Capt) · Type rating: Provided · 3-year bond for Captains · Right to work: EU · UK Heathrow · no sponsorship — careers page
• Smartwings Recruiting
  Non-rated B737 First Officers with CPL/ATPL theory, 70 h PIC and UPRT; rated B737 Captains from 4,000 h with 300 h in command on type
  Licence: EASA CPL + ATPL theory / ATPL · Hours: 70 h PIC + UPRT · Capt 4,000 h · Type rating: NTR: B737 trained · terms not published · Right to work: EU passport (Capt) — careers page
• SWISS International Air Lines Recruiting
  Direct Entry First Officer A320 and A330 vacancies on the Lufthansa Group portal; EASA ATPL/CPL-IR/MPL, German B2, Swiss Matura-level education
  Licence: EASA ATPL / CPL-IR / MPL · Hours: Type-specific · see vacancy · Type rating: Provided (A330) · Right to work: CH / EU · German B2 — careers page
• Virgin Atlantic Recruiting
  First Officer & Senior First Officer – Airbus posting: 1,500 h on multi-pilot 10 t+ aircraft, current on A320/A330/A340/A350/A380, ICAO English 6
  Licence: UK CAA ATPL + Airbus · Hours: 1,500 h multi-pilot 10 t+ · Type rating: Airbus required · Right to work: UK · ELP 6 — careers page
• Wizz Air Recruiting
  Dated assessment events are Captain-only; FO applications go into the pool.
  Licence: EASA ATPL, or CPL + full ATPL theory · Hours: 140 h cadet FO · 500 h exp FO · 3,500 h Capt · Type rating: A320 provided · terms not published · Right to work: EU + named non-EU · no sponsorship — careers page · Study guide (PDF, €4.99)
• Helvetic Airways Talent pool
  Applications to the Copilot and Commander pools on the Embraer E1/E2 at Zurich; cadet programme with Horizon Swiss Flight Academy
  Licence: Not published · Hours: Not published · Type rating: Not published · Right to work: Swiss / EU-EFTA with B/C permit (cadets) — careers page
• Lufthansa Group Cadet only
  Cadet route only: no direct-entry vacancies, and German C1 needed if not a native speaker
  Licence: No licence needed · frozen ATPL on graduation · Hours: None for cadet · direct entry not published · Type rating: Not required to apply · not published · Right to work: EU, Swiss or EFTA citizenship — careers page
• Air Europa Unconfirmed
  Last call closed 5 April 2026: rated B737 First Officers with 500 h on type, a frozen ATPL, Spanish level 6 and an EU work permit
  Licence: EASA frozen ATPL · MCC · Hours: 500 h on B737 · Type rating: Required · B737 · Right to work: EU · Spanish level 6 — careers page
• airBaltic Unconfirmed
  All-A220 fleet with an in-house Pilot Academy; from January 2026 three roster options aimed at foreign pilots; SFOs with 2,750 h and 1,500 h on CS-25 upgrade within a year
  Licence: EASA (frozen) ATPL · Hours: Not published · Type rating: A220 provided · Right to work: EU · foreign rosters — careers page
• Austrian Airlines Unconfirmed
  Selection reopened for direct-entry pilots (E195 and Dash 8 Q400 First Officers reported, A320 for new joiners); no direct-entry Captains
  Licence: EASA ATPL / CPL-IR / MPL · Hours: Not published · Type rating: Provided · Right to work: EU · German — careers page
• Brussels Airlines Unconfirmed
  MPL Cadet Program (€99,500 partly sponsored, 19 months, EU passport, French or Dutch) plus direct hire of experienced EASA pilots when vacancies open
  Licence: Cadet: none · DE: EASA ATPL · Hours: Not published · Type rating: Provided · Right to work: EU passport · FR/NL — careers page
• Cargolux Unconfirmed
  Experienced pilots only: 1,500 h multi-pilot on CS-25 jets or 10 t+ turboprops, EASA ATPL / CPL-IR with ATPL theory / MPL, in-house pass/fail selection
  Licence: EASA ATPL / CPL-IR / MPL · Hours: 1,500 h multi-pilot CS-25 · Type rating: B747 provided · Right to work: EU / EEA — careers page
• Discover Airlines Unconfirmed
  Lufthansa Group leisure carrier: cockpit careers page live, A330 Captain vacancy relayed; German residence and work permit required
  Licence: EASA ATPL / CPL-IR / MPL · Hours: Not published · Type rating: Not published · Right to work: Germany permit — careers page
• Finnair Unconfirmed
  Finnish and English fluency, EASA Class 1, upper-secondary education and 163 cm minimum height; Airbus First Officer recruitment relayed by job boards
  Licence: EASA ATPL / fATPL · Hours: Not published · Type rating: Provided · Right to work: EU · Finnish fluent — careers page
• Icelandair Unconfirmed
  Direct-entry First Officers with an EASA (frozen) ATPL, ME-IR and APS MCC onto the B737 MAX; type rating covered; periodic cadet intakes
  Licence: EASA (frozen) ATPL · APS MCC · Hours: Not published · Type rating: Provided · Right to work: EEA — careers page
• ITA Airways Unconfirmed
  No pilot route is open today: the MPL cadet intake is closed, with no reopening date
  Licence: No licence required · MPL cadet entry · Hours: None · no prior flying experience needed · Type rating: Provided in training · payer not stated · Right to work: Not published · Italian required — careers page
• LOT Polish Airlines Unconfirmed
  B737 First Officers from 800 h with 500 h on 40 t+ aircraft, B787 First Officers at 5,000 h; Boeing rating strongly preferred; fast 2–5 year upgrades reported
  Licence: EASA ATPL / CPL-IR · Hours: 800 h (737) · 5,000 h (787) · Type rating: Boeing preferred · Right to work: EU / EEA — careers page
• Luxair Unconfirmed
  Captain, First Officer and cadet roles in Luxembourg; EU/EFTA and non-EU applicants considered; cadet training pre-financed up to €80,000
  Licence: Not published · Hours: Not published · Type rating: Paid by Luxair · Right to work: EU/EFTA · non-EU considered — careers page
• Norwegian Unconfirmed
  Both FO vacancies closed on 31 Aug 2026 and nothing newer has appeared; a non-Scandinavian licence must convert within 12 months
  Licence: EASA ATPL(A) or CPL(A) + ATPL theory · ME/IR · Hours: 500 h on B737 if rated · 1,500 h if not · Type rating: Not required · funding not published · Right to work: EU/EEC · unrestricted passport — careers page
• Pegasus Airlines Unconfirmed
  Rated B737NG First Officer posting relayed with no hours minimum; board interview with two Captains, MMPI personality inventory, then medical
  Licence: ATPL / CPL+ATPL · Hours: Not published · Type rating: B737 rated · Right to work: Turkey — careers page
• SunExpress Unconfirmed
  Own HR portal publishes cockpit criteria: ATPL(A), Part-MED Class 1, Captains under 60 (rated) or 58 (non-rated) at ground-school start; English and German useful
  Licence: ATPL(A) · Hours: Not published · Type rating: Rated / non-rated · Right to work: TR / DE · age limits (Capt) — careers page
• Transavia Unconfirmed
  Netherlands: First Officer page live but hiring quiet in mid-2026; France: recruited through the Air France “Pilote professionnel” selection (EEA/Swiss, fluent French)
  Licence: EASA ATPL / CPL-IR · Hours: Not published · Type rating: Provided · Right to work: EEA / NL — careers page
• TUI Airline (TUI Airways, TUI fly) Unconfirmed
  Direct entry continues (rated B737 FOs from 1,000 h relayed for TUI fly Belgium) but no MPL cadet intake in 2026; no direct-entry Captains — everyone joins as First Officer
  Licence: UK / EASA ATPL · Hours: 1,000 h rated (BE, relayed) · Type rating: By AOC · Right to work: AOC country · EU passport — careers page
• Turkish Airlines Unconfirmed
  No pilot vacancies open today — THY recruits in campaign windows, not year-round
  Licence: Not published · cadet: no prior training · Hours: Not published · Type rating: Not published · Right to work: Cadet: Turkish citizen/blue card — careers page
• Widerøe Unconfirmed
  Dash 8 First Officer openings ran with April–May 2026 deadlines; EASA licence, Scandinavian language and a Scandinavian-issued Class 1; everyone starts as First Officer
  Licence: EASA (frozen) ATPL · Hours: Not published · Type rating: Dash 8 provided · Right to work: EEA · Scandinavian language — careers page
• Aer Lingus Not recruiting
  Both pilot routes are closed; no reopening date or candidate pool is published.
  Licence: EASA ATPL or frozen ATPL · cadet: no licence · Hours: Not published · Type rating: Airbus rating required (see caveat) · Right to work: EU/Ireland · worldwide passport — careers page
• Iberia Not recruiting
  Nothing open now - and Spanish level 5 is the hard gate whenever a call reopens
  Licence: EASA frozen ATPL(A) + MCC · AESA conversion · Hours: 500 h on CS-25 · currently line-flying · Type rating: Not required · provision not published · Right to work: EU · no visa sponsorship — careers page
• TAP Air Portugal Not recruiting
  Hiring paused: FO intake runs only via periodic competitions, not open applications
  Licence: EASA CPL(A) + ME/IR · Class 1 · Hours: Not published · Type rating: A320 provided · 3-year bond · Right to work: Not published · ANAC licence — careers page
• Vueling Not recruiting
  Hiring paused: no pilot vacancy and MAPS cadet closed — only the talent pool open
  Licence: ATPL frozen or unfrozen · Spanish EASA pre-OCC · Hours: No total-time minimum · '200 factorized h' · Type rating: Not published · non-type-rated accepted · Right to work: Not published · Spanish EASA — careers page

Common questions

Which European airlines are hiring pilots right now? At the last check Aegean Airlines, Air France, Binter, British Airways, Condor, easyJet, Edelweiss, Enter Air, Eurowings, Jet2.com, KLM, Loganair, Lufthansa City Airlines, Ryanair Group, SAS, Smartwings, SWISS International Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic, Wizz Air had a live vacancy or a dated recruitment statement. Norwegian’s two First Officer vacancies closed on 31 August 2026 and Lufthansa, ITA Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, TAP and Vueling had no experienced-pilot vacancy open.

Can I fly for a European airline with an FAA licence? Not directly. You need an EASA (or UK CAA) licence, which means the 13 ATPL theory exams (14 in the UK), a skill test and a Class 1 medical, plus the right to work in the EU/EEA or UK. No European airline on our board sponsors visas for pilots.

Which European airlines hire non-type-rated First Officers? Most of them: Air France, KLM, SAS, Ryanair, Wizz Air, Jet2, Aegean, Eurowings, Lufthansa City Airlines, easyJet (route described, no live vacancy at the last check), Condor and Icelandair all publish a non-rated stream. The rated-only doors are the long-haul fleets at British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, and easyJet’s live Captain vacancies.

Which European airlines hire direct entry Captains? Binter, easyJet, Eurowings, Jet2.com, Loganair, Lufthansa City Airlines, Ryanair Group, SAS, Smartwings, Wizz Air, Helvetic Airways were taking Captain applications at the last check, at 3,000 to 4,000 hours with a bonded non-rated stream at most of them. The flag carriers do not hire Captains from outside.

Do I need to speak the local language? At the flag carriers, usually yes: French at Air France, Dutch at KLM, German at Lufthansa and SWISS, Finnish at Finnair, Spanish at Iberia. At Ryanair, Wizz Air, easyJet, Jet2, Eurowings, Aegean and the UK airlines, English is enough.