Pilot Jobs in the UK 2026: 6 UK Airlines, Who Is Hiring and What They Ask

Our jobs board tracks 6 UK airlines, and 2 airlines based elsewhere name UK bases in their records. Of the 6 UK airlines, all 6 ask for a UK license, and 5 for the right to live and work in the UK. At the last check 1 of them had the First Officer seat open and 3 the Captain seat, and the lowest published entry was 100 hours, at Jet2.com. Jet2.com says it sponsors a visa. This page lists each one with its UK bases, seats, license and minimum, the cadet routes, and the traps in a UK vacancy: the license state since Brexit, the qualifiers on the hours, who pays for the type rating, and campaigns that open and close. How to get the license itself is on the how to become an airline pilot in the UK page.

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Interview study guides for UK 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, including Qatar Airways (bundle only), for €19.99. Instant PDF download; no refunds once delivered.

Jet2Boeing 737 First Officer
31-page PDF · 69 interview questionsFirst Officers: pool only (checked 16 October 2026)Get the PDF · €4.99 →easyJetA320 Direct Entry First Officer
29-page PDF · 65 interview questionsFirst Officers: not recruiting (checked 12 October 2026)Get the PDF · €4.99 →British AirwaysA320 Direct Entry First Officer
30-page PDF · 66 interview questionsFirst Officers: unconfirmed (checked 12 October 2026)Get the PDF · €4.99 →

The UK airlines (6)

Every UK airline on our board, by its status at the last check: 2 recruiting for at least one seat. The license column is each record’s own summary; the hours are the published minimums, in the airline’s own measure.

Airlines from elsewhere with UK bases (2)

These airlines are based outside the UK but name UK bases in their records. Their seats are counted across their whole network, so the UK routes are quoted here as recorded, open or closed, with the right to work each record gives.

Left out, because their base lists name no UK base: Wizz Air, whose record names a separate Wizz Air UK operating certificate asking for a UK CAA license, a UK CAA Class 1 and the right to live and work in the UK, with no recruitment events on its page; its UK bases are among the points we could not confirm (checked 12 October 2026); Vueling, whose own page names London Gatwick among its international bases without saying which bases take new pilots (checked 12 October 2026).

Who is hiring, seat by seat

First Officer seat open at the last check: Jet2.com. Captain seat open: easyJet, Loganair and Jet2.com. Each UK airline as its record sums it up, with the date of the check:

• easyJet F/O: Not recruiting Capt: Recruiting
  easyJet was recruiting Captains only on 25 August 2026: A320-rated and non-type-rated Captains at London Gatwick, and A320-rated Captains in Marrakesh on a two-year contract through an agency rather than with easyJet itself. Its own system showed no First Officer or cadet vacancy. On 12 October 2026 job boards still relayed its Captain listings, and no First Officer or cadet vacancy was found. (checked 12 October 2026) — careers page · Study guide (PDF, €4.99)
• Loganair F/O: Not recruiting Capt: Recruiting
  Loganair’s flight-crew careers page said on 16 October 2026 that it was recruiting only Direct Entry Captains, and running an Airline Returners Programme for pilots previously type-rated in either seat. A non-type-rated “Newly Qualified First Officer” listing exists on its recruitment site, but no First Officers were being recruited. (checked 16 October 2026) — careers page
• Jet2.com F/O: Talent pool Capt: Talent pool
  On 16 October 2026 Jet2’s “Non Type-Rated Pilots” vacancy was building a talent pool for all ranks for 2027, on the A320 or the 737, with First Officers from 500 hours on multi-crew aircraft over 10 tonnes, and Jet2 said it sponsors UK Skilled Worker visas. (checked 16 October 2026) — careers page · Study guide (PDF, €4.99)
• British Airways F/O: Unconfirmed Capt: Not recruiting
  Every BA pilot vacancy we found on 12 October 2026 had closed. BA Euroflyer ran Direct Entry First Officer and Direct Entry Captain campaigns at Gatwick in 2026, for rated and non-rated pilots; BA recruits in campaigns, so watch careers.ba.com/pilots for the next one. (checked 12 October 2026) — careers page · Study guide (PDF, €4.99)
• TUI Airline (TUI Airways, TUI fly) F/O: Unconfirmed Capt: Not offered
  TUI’s careers site had type-rated and non-type-rated B737 First Officer vacancies for its UK bases in 2026, the non-rated one from 500 hours on multi-pilot jets, but on 16 October 2026 both vacancy pages led to its careers home page, so whether they are open is unconfirmed. TUI runs no MPL cadet intake in 2026, and every pilot joins as a First Officer. (checked 16 October 2026) — careers page
• Virgin Atlantic F/O: Unconfirmed Capt: Not offered
  Virgin Atlantic’s “First Officer & Senior First Officer – Airbus” posting, for Airbus-rated pilots, was no longer on its careers site on 16 October 2026 (a search-engine copy gave a closing date of 29 September 2026), and no newer pilot posting was found. (checked 16 October 2026) — careers page

5 of the 6 publish a First Officer entry for pilots without a type rating (easyJet, Loganair, Jet2.com, British Airways and TUI Airline); the airlines that train you on type, in the UK and beyond, are on the non-type-rated First Officer jobs page, and the doors at low hours on the low-hour pilot jobs page.

Routes from zero hours

The cadet and academy routes the UK airlines’ records name, worded as recorded. The airline’s First Officer status is a different thing: a scheme can be open while direct entry is shut, and the other way round.

• British Airways Intake: Not stated
  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) (checked 12 October 2026)
• easyJet Intake: Not stated
  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 (checked 12 October 2026)
• Jet2.com Intake: Not stated
  Jet2FlightPath cadet program (checked 16 October 2026)
• Loganair Intake: Not stated
  Flight school partners (Leading Edge Aviation, Skyborne Aviation Academy, Ravenair): tagging arrangements and tailored programs, as the flight-crew page described them on 16 October 2026 (checked 16 October 2026)
• TUI Airline (TUI Airways, TUI fly) Intake: Closed at last check
  MPL cadet — no 2026 intake (checked 16 October 2026)

Who pays, and what each scheme leads to, is compared on the cadet programs page; the license routes themselves, integrated, modular and MPL, are on the UK country page.

How to read a UK pilot vacancy

• The license state comes first. The UK left the EASA system at the end of 2020, so a UK license and an EASA license are two documents, and the airline’s operating certificate decides which one you need. easyJet’s Gatwick Captain vacancies want a UK CAA license, and an EASA license alone does not meet them (checked 12 October 2026); British Airways’ Euroflyer asked for a UK CAA ATPL, or a conversion to a UK license already started (checked 12 October 2026); Jet2 asks for a UK-issued license (checked 16 October 2026); Virgin Atlantic’s 2026 Airbus posting asked for an unfrozen UK CAA ATPL with a current Airbus rating (checked 16 October 2026); Loganair for a UK CAA ATPL for its Captains (checked 16 October 2026); TUI’s 2026 UK vacancies asked for a UK CAA CPL with the ATPL theory credits (checked 16 October 2026). It works the other way at some UK bases: SAS’s A320neo First Officers at Heathrow fly on an EASA CPL with the ATPL subjects (checked 12 October 2026); Ryanair’s partly sponsored UK cadet program is with Ryanair DAC on an EASA license, and a UK-only license restricts a cadet to the Ryanair UK fleet (checked 12 October 2026). Converting a license is set out on the UK country page.
• The right to work, and who sponsors. Of the 8 airlines on this page, only Jet2.com says it sponsors a visa: Jet2’s non-type-rated vacancy says it is a Home Office–approved sponsor and welcomes candidates eligible for a UK Skilled Worker visa (checked 16 October 2026). The others ask for a right to work you already hold. easyJet’s Gatwick roles add unrestricted access across the UK, the EEA and its network (checked 12 October 2026); TUI’s 2026 UK vacancy asked for the right to live and work in the UK and offered no visa sponsorship (checked 16 October 2026); Ryanair’s UK cadet program accepts pre-settled status and says no visa sponsorship is available (checked 12 October 2026); SAS asks for the unrestricted right to live and work in the UK at Heathrow and in the EU at its Scandinavian bases (checked 12 October 2026); British Airways’ Euroflyer asked for a passport valid for at least 12 months, and a height between 1.57 m and 1.91 m (checked 12 October 2026). The airlines that do sponsor are on the visa sponsorship page.
• Hours with a qualifier. Jet2’s Second Officers need 100 hours on multi-engine multi-crew aircraft, and its First Officers 500 on multi-crew jets or turboprops above 10 tonnes (checked 16 October 2026); Virgin Atlantic’s last Airbus posting counted 1,500 hours for First Officers and 3,000 for Senior First Officers, on multi-pilot turbojets or turboprops of at least 10 tonnes or with more than 19 seats (checked 16 October 2026); British Airways’ rated Euroflyer First Officers counted 500 hours or 100 sectors on an aircraft that qualifies for zero flight time training (checked 12 October 2026); TUI’s 2026 non-rated UK vacancy asked that you qualify for zero flight time training: 500 hours or 100 route sectors on a multi-pilot turbojet or a qualifying turboprop (checked 16 October 2026); easyJet publishes two sets of Captain minimums that do not agree, its careers page and its live vacancies, so read the vacancy (checked 12 October 2026). Total time on light single-pilot aircraft does not meet a multi-crew or a 10-tonne figure. Every airline’s minimum is on the hours requirements page.
• Who pays for the rating. British Airways’ Euroflyer funds the rating of its non-rated joiners, described by job aggregators as not bonded (checked 12 October 2026); easyJet offers its non-rated Captains “funding options” for the A320 rating, not a free one (checked 12 October 2026); Ryanair’s UK cadets pay EUR 5,000 for the type rating up front, then a yearly reducing training-cost agreement (checked 12 October 2026); Loganair provides the rating (checked 16 October 2026). Ask who pays, and what a bond costs you if you leave, before you sign.
• Campaigns and bases. British Airways recruits in campaigns, and every BA pilot vacancy found at its last check had closed (checked 12 October 2026); Jet2 publishes its ranks across its UK bases, but which bases each rank is open at is among the points we could not confirm (checked 16 October 2026); Jet2’s non-type-rated vacancy was building a talent pool for all ranks for 2027 (checked 16 October 2026); Loganair’s flight-crew page said it was recruiting only Direct Entry Captains (checked 16 October 2026); Virgin Atlantic’s Airbus posting, with a closing date of 29 September 2026, was no longer on its careers site (checked 16 October 2026); TUI’s 2026 UK vacancy pages led to its careers home page, with no vacancy shown (checked 16 October 2026). Register on the careers pages and watch the closing dates.
• Medical and English. Jet2 wants a UK CAA Class 1 with at least six months of validity left at your start date, and English Level 5 (checked 16 October 2026); British Airways’ Euroflyer asked for Level 6 (checked 12 October 2026); Virgin Atlantic for Level 6, certified when you apply (checked 16 October 2026); easyJet’s vacancies for ICAO Level 4 (checked 12 October 2026).

The rest of Europe, with the EASA airlines’ own rules, is on the pilot jobs in Europe page.

For the selection, the complete interview guide, the top 50 A320 interview questions, and the Library’s airline pilot recruitment and selection and airline simulator assessment articles.

Common questions

Which UK airlines are hiring pilots? At the last check the First Officer seat was open at Jet2.com and the Captain seat at easyJet, Loganair and Jet2.com; at British Airways, TUI Airline and Virgin Atlantic both seats were closed, not offered or unconfirmed. The tables on this page give the date each airline was checked. Confirm the vacancy on the airline’s own careers page before applying.

Can I fly for a UK airline with an EASA license? Usually not without converting it. Since the UK left the EASA system at the end of 2020 the two licenses are separate: easyJet’s Gatwick Captain vacancies want a UK CAA license, and an EASA license alone does not meet them (checked 12 October 2026); British Airways’ Euroflyer asked for a UK CAA ATPL, or a conversion to a UK license already started (checked 12 October 2026); Jet2 asks for a UK-issued license (checked 16 October 2026); Virgin Atlantic’s 2026 Airbus posting asked for an unfrozen UK CAA ATPL with a current Airbus rating (checked 16 October 2026); Loganair for a UK CAA ATPL for its Captains (checked 16 October 2026); TUI’s 2026 UK vacancies asked for a UK CAA CPL with the ATPL theory credits (checked 16 October 2026). The exceptions are at airlines based elsewhere: SAS’s A320neo First Officers at Heathrow fly on an EASA CPL with the ATPL subjects (checked 12 October 2026); Ryanair’s partly sponsored UK cadet program is with Ryanair DAC on an EASA license, and a UK-only license restricts a cadet to the Ryanair UK fleet (checked 12 October 2026).

Do UK airlines sponsor visas for pilots? Few. Of the 8 airlines on this page, only Jet2.com says it sponsors a visa: Jet2’s non-type-rated vacancy says it is a Home Office–approved sponsor and welcomes candidates eligible for a UK Skilled Worker visa (checked 16 October 2026). The others ask for the right to live and work in the UK, or in the country of their bases, which you must already hold.

What is the lowest-hours way into a UK airline? Among the UK airlines, the lowest published entries for pilots without a type rating are Jet2.com (100 h); TUI Airline (500 h); British Airways (1,500 h), each in the airline’s own measure of hours. Below that, the routes are the cadet schemes.

Do UK airlines run cadet programs? 5 UK airlines on our board name a cadet or academy route. At the last check TUI Airline had its intake closed and the records of British Airways, easyJet, Jet2.com and Loganair do not say whether an intake is open. Who pays differs from one scheme to the next: the cadet programs page compares them.