Republic Airways Pilot Requirements 2026: Hours, License and Hiring Process

Republic Airways, the regional airline based in Carmel, Indiana, that flies Embraer 170s and 175s as American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express, hires First Officers without a type rating. Its posting asks that you meet the minimum requirements for an FAA ATP or restricted ATP (R-ATP) certificate, with the ATP written test preferred, and Republic’s own interview and hiring minimums, which it does not state. You also need authorization to work in the US and a valid US or foreign passport, a high school diploma or GED, and an FAA First Class medical, which Republic’s RJet Cadet posting and job-board copies of the First Officer posting name. At the last check, on 20 October 2026, Republic’s job site had the First Officer posting of 21 September 2026 and the RJet Cadet posting of 7 October 2026, which gives a conditional offer before you have the hours, both open to applications, and no Captain posting. Republic also owns LIFT Academy, its flight school. After its merger with Mesa on 25 November 2025, it had 314 Embraer 170/175s at 30 June 2026 (Republic, 30 July 2026).

Is Republic Airways hiring pilots now?

Recruiting at the last check on 20 October 2026 — First Officer seat: Recruiting; Captain seat: Not recruiting. First Officer E170/E175 at the ATP or restricted-ATP minimums, no type rating needed; RJet Cadet conditional offers before the hours; LIFT Academy, Republic’s own flight school

Requirements, as published

Reading the requirements line by line

• The FAA’s minimums, not a fixed number. The posting ties the hours to the certificates: 1,500 hours for the ATP (14 CFR 61.159) or, for the restricted ATP, which lets you fly only as a First Officer, 750 hours for military pilots or 1,000 or 1,250 hours with a qualifying aviation degree (14 CFR 61.160; who qualifies is on the restricted ATP explained). The FAA’s minimum age is 23 for the ATP and 21 for the restricted ATP. The posting adds Republic’s own current interview and hiring minimums of age and hours, which it does not state, and says that if you interview with the interview minimums but not yet the hiring minimums, you can be hired once you reach the hiring minimums within six months of the interview, with no certificate action since it, a stable employment history and a class date accepted within those six months. The job-board copies of it that we found give only the FAA’s figures: 1,500 hours total with 250 as pilot in command, both ATP minimums of 14 CFR 61.159, or 750 hours where the R-ATP applies. Ask a recruiter which minimum applies to you.
• The ATP written is preferred, not required. You can apply before you have passed it, but the posting prefers that you have. The knowledge test needs the ATP-CTP course first (14 CFR 61.156), so plan the course into your last months of hour building.
• No type rating. Job-board copies of the posting say no type rating is required and training is provided: the E170/E175 rating is part of new-hire training.
• The papers. Authorization to work in the US and to travel in and out of it, which job-board copies say Republic does not sponsor; a valid US or foreign passport, kept valid; a high school diploma or GED; the FAA-required review of your last 10 years of work history, with criminal background and fingerprint checks; FAA and company drug and alcohol tests; and an FAA First Class medical, which the RJet Cadet posting and job-board copies of the First Officer posting name (the First Officer posting itself refers only to the FAA’s medical standards).
• No 750-hour route from LIFT. In 2022 Republic asked the FAA to let civilian graduates of its restricted-ATP program at LIFT Academy fly as First Officers at 750 hours, the military figure; the FAA denied the petition on 19 September 2022 (AIN, September 2022), so LIFT graduates need the same minimums as other civilian pilots.

Entry routes

• Direct entry First Officer, E170/E175: posting JR-005024 (Carmel, Indiana; posted 21 September 2026), at the ATP or R-ATP minimums, no type rating asked for (Republic’s job site, read 20 October 2026)
• RJet Cadet program (posting JR-004825, posted 7 October 2026): a conditional offer of employment as early as your instrument rating or commercial certificate, for pilots within 700 hours or six months of the R-ATP’s 1,000 or 1,250 h, or within 1,000 hours or six months of the ATP’s 1,500 h; interviews year-round (Republic’s job site, read 20 October 2026)
• LIFT Academy — Republic’s own flight school, in Indianapolis and, since 2023, Myrtle Beach, with LIFT Academy job openings in Galveston, Texas, and Tuskegee, Alabama, on Republic’s job site (20 October 2026): initial training in as little as 18 months, then instructing at LIFT with a guaranteed First Officer interview at 1,500 h, flying for Cape Air, or a college partnership
• Delta Ready and United Ready — Republic’s programs for its First Officers: Delta Ready ends in a guaranteed interview for qualified pilots and a move to Delta after 24 months in the left seat at Republic, and United Ready is structured very similarly, toward United (Republic’s undated Pilot Career Path page, read 19 October 2026)
• Cape Air JumpStart — for pilots who want to stay at a regional and upgrade, with up to a USD 100,000 upgrade bonus (same page)
• Direct entry Captain — named on Republic’s undated Pilot Career Path page; no live vacancy on Republic’s job site on 20 October 2026, whose only pilot postings were JR-005024 and JR-004825 (an undated Direct Entry Captain listing in Indianapolis still appears on job-feed copies of its listings)

LIFT Academy, the RJet Cadet program and the routes to the majors

Republic’s own pages describe several routes beside the First Officer posting. As we read them, the Pilot Career Path page on 19 October 2026 and the RJet Cadet posting on 20 October 2026:

• LIFT Academy, the flight school Republic owns and runs: the Pilot Career Path page names its original location beside Indianapolis International Airport and a second in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, opened in 2023, and on 20 October 2026 Republic’s job site also had LIFT Academy job openings in Galveston, Texas, and Tuskegee, Alabama. It takes students from no flying experience, from the age of 18, and initial training can take as little as 18 months. You then build the hours in one of three ways: instructing at LIFT, with a guaranteed First Officer interview at Republic once you have the 1,500 hours and the other requirements; flying as a First Officer for Cape Air, which also leads to a guaranteed interview with Republic; or a college partnership that adds an associate degree to the flight ratings.
• RJet Cadet program, for pilots still building hours: a conditional offer of employment as a First Officer before you reach the minimums, as early as your instrument rating or commercial certificate. The posting asks every candidate for no more than one check ride failure, the right to work in the US and an FAA First Class medical, whose privileges may have lapsed; cadets heading for the restricted ATP’s 1,000 or 1,250 hours need an instrument rating and “no more than 700 hours or less than 6 months” to go until conversion to First Officer, and cadets heading for the ATP’s 1,500 hours a commercial certificate and no more than 1,000 hours or less than six months to go. The posting says the program carries no commitment or contractual obligation and lists priority on class date selection among its benefits, and Polk State College, on 28 August 2026, called the offers non-binding for its graduates.
• Delta Ready and United Ready, for Republic First Officers: Republic’s page describes Delta Ready as immersive training with virtual and in-person time with Republic and Delta leadership, ending in a guaranteed interview for qualified pilots and a move to Delta after 24 months of captain residency at Republic, and United Ready as structured very similarly, toward United. Cape Air JumpStart is for pilots who would rather stay at a regional and upgrade, with the chance of an upgrade bonus of up to USD 100,000.
• Direct-entry Captains: the same page says Captains also join Republic directly from other airlines. A Direct Entry Captain listing in Indianapolis appears, undated, on job-feed copies of Republic’s listings in search results, but it was not among the postings on Republic’s own job site on 20 October 2026, whose only pilot postings were the First Officer and RJet Cadet ones.

The Pilot Career Path page is undated, so confirm with Republic that each program still runs on these terms.

Republic beside its partners and other US airlines

Republic beside two other regional airlines and the four largest US passenger airlines on our jobs board, as recorded at each airline’s last check:

Read the license column with the minimum: a restricted ATP opens a First Officer seat at a regional airline such as Republic, and the majors are the next step. Republic flies for three of them: on 30 June 2026 its committed fleet of 306 Embraers, which includes 31 aircraft leased to American, was 123 aircraft for American, 57 for Delta and 126 for United, among them 60 United-owned E175s flown by Mesa, whose integration with Republic, toward a single operating certificate, Republic expected to take 18 to 24 more months (Republic, 30 July 2026).

Selection process

1. Online application on Republic’s job site
2. Interview, held year-round, virtually or on site, as Republic’s RJet Cadet posting describes it: an HR portion on your documents and qualifications, and a technical portion with a current Republic pilot (read a METAR and a TAF, brief an approach from a Jeppesen chart)
3. The FAA-required 10-year work history review, criminal background and fingerprint checks, and FAA and company drug and alcohol tests

Bases and fleet

Bases: Crew bases: not listed on the Republic pages we could read; Republic’s Pilot Career Path page speaks of 10 US base locations, and its undated company profile on Indeed names Boston, Chicago O’Hare, Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville, Newark, New York LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington National · Headquarters, and the First Officer posting’s location: Carmel, Indiana; LIFT Academy at Indianapolis International Airport and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (Pilot Career Path page), with LIFT Academy job openings in Galveston, Texas, and Tuskegee, Alabama, on Republic’s job site (20 October 2026)

Fleet: 314 Embraer 170/175s at 30 June 2026: 275 flown under capacity purchase agreements for American (American Eagle), Delta (Delta Connection) and United (United Express), 31 leased to American and 8 unallocated spares (Republic, 30 July 2026) · The committed fleet of 306: 55 E170s and 251 E175s, 123 for American, 57 for Delta and 126 for United, including 60 United-owned E175s flown by Mesa (same release) · 26 more E175s on firm order, for delivery from 2028 through 2030 (same release)

How to prepare

Republic flies only Embraer 170s and 175s, so work the E-Jet bank for the aircraft you will be rated on in training, beside the ATPL theory banks. Republic’s RJet Cadet posting describes an interview with a technical portion led by a current Republic pilot, and tells you to be ready to read a METAR and a TAF and to brief an approach from a Jeppesen chart; we could not confirm that direct-entry First Officers have the same interview, but prepare for it: practice decoding real reports aloud, and briefing an approach chart in a fixed order, the frequencies and courses, the minimums, the missed approach and the notes, until you can do it without notes. If you have not yet passed the ATP knowledge test, which the posting prefers you to have, note that it needs the ATP-CTP course first; the ATP bank covers the ATM written test, with its Part 121, performance and turbine-systems questions. Prepare the HR portion with the US airline interview set and the crew resource management questions with the CRM interview set. Do the paperwork first: total your logbook against the ATP or R-ATP minimums, have the R-ATP’s proof ready if you count on it, your degree’s aviation credits or your military service, list your employers of the last 10 years for the FAA-required work history review, and bring your passport, medical and certificates, since the HR portion the posting describes reviews your documents.

Republic has no interview guide on v1prep yet, so for the HR portion read the complete airline pilot interview guide, and for the technical portion the Library’s METAR and SPECI, TAF and TREND forecasts and reading FAA instrument approach charts. If you are counting on the lower minimums, the restricted ATP explained sets out who qualifies at 750, 1,000 or 1,250 hours, and our FAA ATP written test guide covers the ATP-CTP and the test that follows it. The Library’s FAA Part 121 air carrier operations explains the rules a regional First Officer flies under, and its Embraer E-Jet family and flight deck is a place to start on the E175. The whole route from zero hours is on how to become an airline pilot in the USA, and another regional that flies the E175 for the majors is on SkyWest Airlines pilot requirements. Check Republic’s entry on the jobs board for the latest status.

What we could not confirm

• Republic’s own interview and hiring minimums of age and hours, which the First Officer posting says apply beside the FAA’s but does not state; the job-board copies of the posting we found give only the FAA’s ATP or R-ATP figures
• Whether Republic hires military pilots at the R-ATP’s 750 h
• The current crew-base list, the bases open to new hires and current class sizes
• Whether direct-entry First Officers have the same interview as the RJet Cadet posting describes, and whether there is a simulator or aptitude stage, which third-party guides list and Republic’s pages do not
• First Officer pay: Republic’s own pages, as search results show them, have given USD 91.81, 92.73 and 93.65 an hour in different versions
• Whether the Delta Ready, United Ready and Cape Air JumpStart pathways still run on the terms of the undated Pilot Career Path page, and when Republic next posts a direct-entry Captain vacancy
• How the Mesa merger will change seniority, bases and hiring once the two operating certificates are combined

These points are not published clearly by the airline. Treat them as leads, not facts, and confirm them on the careers page: careers page.

Common questions

Is Republic Airways hiring pilots? Yes, at the last check, on 20 October 2026: Republic’s job site had a full-time Commercial Airline Pilot – First Officer posting, based in Carmel, Indiana and posted on 21 September 2026, and the RJet Cadet posting, posted on 7 October 2026, both open to applications with no closing date shown, and no Captain posting. Postings open and close without notice, so check the careers site before you apply.

How many hours do you need to fly for Republic Airways? Republic’s First Officer posting asks that you meet the minimum requirements for an ATP or restricted ATP certificate: 1,500 hours for the ATP or, for the restricted ATP, 750 hours for military pilots and 1,000 or 1,250 hours with a qualifying aviation degree. It adds Republic’s own interview and hiring minimums, which it does not state; the job-board copies of the posting we found give only the FAA’s figures. If you interview with the interview minimums, you can be hired once you reach the hiring minimums within six months of the interview. Through the RJet Cadet program you can hold a conditional offer before you reach the minimums.

Does Republic Airways require a type rating? No. Job-board copies of the posting say no type rating is required and training is provided, so the E170/E175 rating is part of new-hire training. The posting prefers, but does not require, the ATP written test.

What is the Republic Airways pilot interview? As Republic’s RJet Cadet posting describes it, interviews are held year-round, virtually and on site, with an HR portion in which a recruiter reviews your documents and qualifications, and a technical portion with a current Republic pilot, for which you should be ready to read a METAR and a TAF and brief an approach from a Jeppesen chart. We found no simulator or aptitude stage on Republic’s own pages.

What is LIFT Academy? Republic’s own flight school. Its original location is beside Indianapolis International Airport, with a second in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, since 2023, and on 20 October 2026 Republic’s job site also had LIFT Academy job openings in Galveston, Texas, and Tuskegee, Alabama. It trains students from no flying experience, from the age of 18, in as little as 18 months, and then offers three ways to build the hours: instructing at LIFT, with a guaranteed Republic First Officer interview at 1,500 hours; flying for Cape Air; or a college partnership with an associate degree. In September 2022 the FAA refused Republic’s request to let LIFT graduates fly as First Officers at 750 hours.