EASA Commercial Airline Pilot (Part-FCL CPL, IR and ATPL in Europe)
How to become an airline pilot in Europe under EASA rules: Class 1 medical, a national competent authority, integrated or modular training, MCC and the First Officer to Captain path
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Where it leads
- Student pilot
- Commercial pilot (CPL/IR holder)
- Flight instructor
- Airline cadet / trainee pilot
- First Officer
0 of 13 gates cleared
Before you spend money or years
Check these first; they can end the journey before it costs you
Go / no-go check
Red light: check these before paying any fees.
Training is expensive (one Spanish school publishes €69,500–€79,500 for an integrated ATPL before medicals, authority fees and a type rating), a licence does not guarantee an airline job, and pay and work rights depend on the country and airline. Check your Class 1 medical before committing large sums.
Is this you?
Tick the ones that are true for you.
13 gates to the cockpit
13 gates in 4 legs. Tap a gate to read it; log the date when you clear it.
Understand the job, the two entry paths and how EASA licensing works before training makes sense. Next: check eligibility and choose a competent authority.
Part-FCL sets ages and medical requirements but no school-subject or degree requirement. Licences are issued by the competent authority designated by the Member State you apply to, and all theory exams for a licence are taken under that same authority. Next: the Class 1 medical.
A Class 1 medical certificate is required to exercise CPL, MPL and ATPL privileges, and a student may not fly solo without the medical certificate required for the licence sought. A Class 1 includes Class 2 privileges. Next: choose a training route.
The ATP(A) integrated course trains co-pilots for multi-pilot airline operations in one continuous course (750 hours of theory plus 25 hours of MCC theory, at least 195 hours of flying training). The modular route builds the same licences step by step. Next: start flying.
First solo is allowed from age 16 with instructor authorisation. On the modular route, the PPL(A) (from 17, at least Class 2) needs at least 45 hours of flight instruction, including 25 hours dual and 10 hours supervised solo with a 150 NM solo cross-country. Next: ATPL theory.
Pass mark 75% per paper; all papers within 18 months of the first attempt; at most four attempts per paper and six sittings. CPL and IR passes are valid for licence issue for 36 months; ATPL theory stays valid for 7 years from the last validity date of an IR. Next: build experience toward the CPL.
🛑 Money step: continue when your go / no-go check above is green.
Modular route: at least 200 hours of flight time before the skill test, including 100 hours as PIC with 20 hours cross-country as PIC and a 300 NM VFR cross-country with full-stop landings at two other aerodromes. Integrated courses follow their approved syllabus. Next: instrument rating and multi-engine.
The ATPL later requires a CPL with a multi-engine instrument rating. Next: MCC and airline preparation.
MCC training is required for the first multi-pilot type rating. The enhanced APS MCC adds advanced swept-wing jet training, airline operations scenarios and a graded final assessment; students below the APS standard receive the standard MCC certificate. Next: airline applications.
European airlines recruit First Officers from their own programmes and from licence holders applying directly. Requirements, contracts and work-right rules differ by airline and country. Next: building airline experience.
As a First Officer you build the experience the ATPL requires. Next: the ATPL and command.
The ATPL(A) requires age 21, an MPL or a CPL with multi-engine IR and MCC instruction, ATPL theory passes and 1,500 hours. Becoming a Captain also depends on your airline’s upgrade process and vacancies.
More about this career
About the job, pay where you live, questions people ask, and where this career can take you next.
About the job
What you’d do
- Inspect the aircraft before and after each flight, following pre-flight checklists
- Check that fuel, weight and balance, and weather conditions are right for the flight
- Prepare flight plans and talk to air traffic control over the radio
- Fly the aircraft on planned routes and through take-offs and landings as part of a crew
- Monitor engines, fuel use and other aircraft systems, using instruments when visibility is poor
- Respond to and report emergencies, malfunctions and changing weather
Where you’d work
- Scheduled passenger airlines
- Cargo and express delivery carriers
- Charter and other non-scheduled air operators
- Corporate flight departments flying company executives
- Flight training schools
Licence to practise
Registration is with European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
- Choose the EASA Member State to apply to: its designated competent authority issues your licence
- Complete CPL theory and flight instruction at an approved training organisation (ATO)
- Pass the CPL theory exams and the CPL skill test; you must be at least 18
- Apply to the competent authority with evidence you meet Part-FCL and Part-MED (medical) requirements
- For the ATPL(A): be 21+, hold a CPL(A) with a multi-engine IR and MCC training, and log at least 1,500 hours
Sourced facts for this region
Licensing requirements, pay and training costs taken from the sources listed below. This is the latest information checked, not live data; confirm with the regulator before acting.
Licensing authority
European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) rules, applied by each Member State’s competent authorityLast checked: Oct 8, 2026
Licensing requirements
- EASA writes the common rules (Part-FCL and Part-MED), but licences are issued by the competent authority designated by the Member State to which the pilot applies. All theoretical knowledge examinations for a licence must be taken under the same Member State’s competent authority. European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
- EASA Member States are the 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The United Kingdom is not an EASA Member State. European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)The statement about the United Kingdom reflects that it is absent from EASA’s Member State list.
- First solo flight: at least 16. PPL: at least 17. CPL: at least 18. ATPL: at least 21. European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
- A student pilot may not fly solo without the medical certificate required for the licence sought. PPL: at least Class 2. CPL, MPL and ATPL: Class 1 (which includes Class 2 privileges). European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)Medical standards are not summarised here — consult an aero-medical centre (AeMC) under your competent authority.
- Pilots using the radio telephone need a language proficiency endorsement in English or in the language used for the radio communications involved, at least at operational level. European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
- The Part-FCL licence requirements reviewed set age, medical, theoretical knowledge, training, experience and skill-test requirements; they set no school-subject or degree requirement. European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)Training organisations and airlines set their own entry requirements, which differ by country and employer.
- Pass mark 75% per paper. All papers must be passed within 18 months of the first attempt, with no more than four attempts per paper and six sittings for ATPL, CPL and IR exams. CPL and IR exam passes are valid for licence issue for 36 months; ATPL theory remains valid for 7 years from the last validity date of an IR in the licence. European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
- PPL(A): at least 45 hours of flight instruction, including 25 hours dual and 10 hours supervised solo with a 150 NM solo cross-country. European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
- ATP(A) integrated course: 750 hours of theoretical instruction (plus 25 hours MCC theory) and at least 195 hours of flying training, including 95 hours dual (up to 55 instrument ground time) and 70 hours as PIC (up to 55 as SPIC). It trains co-pilots for multi-pilot commercial air transport and leads to a CPL with instrument rating. European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
- CPL(A) modular course: PPL(A) holders; at least 200 hours of flight time before the skill test, including 100 hours as PIC with 20 hours cross-country as PIC and a 300 NM VFR cross-country with full-stop landings at two other aerodromes. CPL(A) integrated course: at least 150 hours of flying training, including 80 hours dual and 70 hours as PIC. European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
- MCC training is required for the first multi-pilot type rating (FCL.735.A). The enhanced APS MCC course adds advanced swept-wing jet training, airline operations scenario training and a graded final assessment; students who do not reach the APS standard receive the standard MCC certificate. European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
- ATPL(A): at least 21; an MPL, or a CPL(A) with multi-engine IR plus MCC instruction; at least 1,500 hours in aeroplanes, including 500 hours in multi-pilot operations; 500 hours PIC under supervision, or 250 hours PIC, or 250 hours with at least 70 as PIC and the rest PICUS; 200 hours cross-country (100 as PIC or PICUS); 75 hours instrument time (no more than 30 ground time); and 100 hours at night. Up to 100 hours may be in FSTDs (no more than 25 in an FNPT). European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
Latest available salary information
Last checked: Oct 8, 2026
| Role | Range | Data type | Source |
|---|
Pay depends on employer, role, aircraft, seniority and hours. These figures are not a promise of earnings, and figures of different types are not combined.
Training cost (published examples)
Example published programme price: integrated ATPL at one approved training organisation in Spain
€69,500 – €79,500
Includes
- Integrated ATPL from zero hours to a frozen EASA ATPL (basic package €69,500)
- All-inclusive package (€79,500) adds a single room, full board and airport shuttle
Not included
- Class 1 medical
- Competent-authority licence and examination fees (not stated on the page)
- Type rating
- Extra training or retests
Two packages from one school in one Member State, not an EASA-wide range. The school publishes a duration “from 14 months”. FlyBy Aviation Academy (Spain)
Limitations of this information
- EASA is a regulatory system, not one employment market. No source reviewed supports an EASA-wide salary, and no reliable country- and role-specific pilot pay source was found, so no salary figure is shown. Germany’s official Entgeltatlas only reports a top-coded median (above €8,050 a month) for co-pilots, which cannot give a range.
- Airline employment can depend on the right to work in the country of the base, on the airline’s own requirements and on which competent authority holds your licence; no single official source covers this across Member States.
- Licence transfer between competent authorities and conversion of non-EASA licences have their own procedures, not summarised here.
- The training-cost example is one Spanish school’s published packages.
Sources (3)
- European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) — Easy Access Rules for Aircrew (Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011) — Revision from November 2025Last checked: Oct 8, 2026 · EASA’s consolidated publication of the Aircrew Regulation (Part-FCL, Part-MED, Part-ARA). Points cited: FCL.001, FCL.020, FCL.025, FCL.055, FCL.200, FCL.210.A, FCL.300, FCL.500, FCL.510.A, FCL.735.A with AMC2, Appendix 3, MED.A.030, ARA.FCL.200.
- European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) — National Aviation Authorities — EASA Member StatesLast checked: Oct 8, 2026
- FlyBy Aviation Academy (Spain) — EASA Integrated ATPL Program — price and durationLast checked: Oct 8, 2026 · One approved training organisation in one Member State; prices elsewhere differ.
Every step in full
The complete text of every step, to read or print. Work through them in the journey above.
Is Aviation Right for You? Path A (after school) and Path B (after a degree) 1 steps
Compare Path A (after secondary school or 10+2) with Path B (after a degree)
Path A: you can start an integrated course with no flying prerequisites, or a modular route beginning with the PPL (from age 17); the CPL can be issued from 18. Path B: graduates follow the same Part-FCL licences — a university degree does not replace any medical, theory, flight-hour or skill-test requirement. Some schools combine the ATPL with a degree, which is an academic option rather than a licensing advantage.
Real-world task: Write a one-page decision note: your entry path, target countries, backup plan and the questions you still need answered before paying any fees.
Why it matters: Both paths lead to the same EASA licences, so the real decisions are timing, money, country and a fallback.
Checklist
- Write down which path applies to you (school leaver, student, graduate or career changer)
- List your reasons for choosing aviation and your backup plan if training stops
- List the countries where you could realistically live, train and work
Eligibility, Language Proficiency and Your Competent Authority 1 steps
Check eligibility and decide which Member State’s authority you will use
Ages: first solo from 16, PPL from 17, CPL from 18, ATPL from 21. Pilots using the radio need a language proficiency endorsement in English or the language of the radio communications, at least at operational level. Schools and airlines add their own requirements (school qualifications, language, right to work), which differ by country.
Real-world task: Make an eligibility table for your target country and two schools (authority, language, school qualifications, right to work) and record which requirements you currently meet.
Why it matters: Your competent authority and work rights shape where you can train, sit exams and be employed.
Checklist
- Confirm the competent authority (national aviation authority) that will hold your licence and exams
- Plan how you will obtain the language proficiency endorsement
- Check each school’s entry requirements, including school qualifications in Maths and Science where asked
- Check the right-to-work rules for the countries where you would apply to airlines
Get Your EASA Class 1 Medical First 1 steps
Book and complete your initial Class 1 examination
Initial Class 1 examinations are done at an aero-medical centre (AeMC) recognised by your competent authority. Bring reports for any significant medical history.
Real-world task: Complete your initial Class 1 medical and record evidence of completion (certificate class and date).
Why it matters: Without a Class 1 you cannot exercise commercial licence privileges, so finding an issue early protects your money.
Checklist
- Find an AeMC recognised by your competent authority
- Gather reports for any significant medical history before the appointment
- Read your authority’s guidance on the initial Class 1 examination
- Keep your medical certificate and note its validity dates
Choose a Route: Integrated or Modular Training 2 steps
Compare integrated and modular training across approved training organisations
Integrated: no prerequisites, one ATO, one continuous course. Modular: PPL first, then theory, hour building, CPL (at least 200 hours of flight time before the skill test), IR and MCC — often at different schools. Check that each school is an ATO approved by its competent authority.
Real-world task: Compare integrated and modular options in a table (country, authority, approval, total quoted cost, exclusions, published duration) and choose one with written reasons.
Why it matters: The route and country decide most of your cost, timeline and later licensing administration.
Checklist
- Compare at least two integrated and two modular options and confirm each ATO’s approval
- Ask about aircraft and instructor availability and how many students share each aircraft
- Check which competent authority will run your theory exams at each school
- Read any airline programme notice for eligibility, funding, bonds and what happens if you do not pass
Build a complete training budget
As one published example, FlyBy (Spain) lists its EASA integrated ATPL at €69,500 (basic) or €79,500 including room, full board and shuttle; medicals, authority fees, retests and a type rating are outside that price. Prices differ widely between countries and schools.
Real-world task: Create a training budget with a low and a high case, listing every excluded cost and how each will be paid.
Why it matters: Financing can create significant debt, and employment is not guaranteed after the licence.
Checklist
- Ask each school for a written total cost, including what is excluded
- Add the Class 1 medical, competent-authority fees and living costs
- Add a contingency for retests or extra training
- If you need a loan, compare repayments against the time before you earn an airline salary
Foundation Flying: First Solo and (Modular Route) the PPL 1 steps
Fly your first solo and start an accurate logbook
Learn preflight checks, circuits, stalls and emergencies with your instructor, then fly your first supervised solo.
Real-world task: Complete your first supervised solo flight and record evidence of completion in your logbook.
Why it matters: Safe basic handling and accurate records are the foundation for every later licence.
Checklist
- Open a logbook and record every flight accurately
- Learn the preflight inspection, circuits and stall recovery
- Practise emergency procedures with your instructor
- Modular route: complete the PPL(A) training, including the 150 NM solo cross-country
ATPL Theory Examinations 1 steps
Study for and pass the ATPL theory exams under one competent authority
Take the whole set of exams under the same Member State’s authority, when your ATO recommends you. Plan sittings carefully because attempts and sittings are limited.
Real-world task: Pass your ATPL theory exams and record evidence of completion (subject results, authority and dates).
Why it matters: Theory passes are a licence requirement, and attempt limits make planning important.
Checklist
- Get your ATO recommendation and the authority’s exam booking process
- Prepare a study schedule for Air law and Operational procedures
- Study Meteorology, Navigation and Flight planning with practice exams
- Study Aircraft general knowledge, Performance and Principles of flight
Flight Experience and the CPL Skill Test 1 steps
Build the required experience and pass the CPL skill test
Track every category of time against the Part-FCL requirements, and use cross-country flights to practise navigation, flight planning, weather judgement and decision making together. Use standard radio telephony on every flight.
Real-world task: Plan and fly the 300 NM VFR cross-country with two full-stop landings away from base and record evidence of completion in your logbook.
Why it matters: The long cross-country tests navigation, planning, weather judgement and decision making together.
Checklist
- Track total time, PIC time and cross-country PIC time against the CPL minimums
- Plan the 300 NM VFR cross-country with full-stop landings at two other aerodromes
- Practise standard radio telephony phraseology on every flight
- Prepare for the CPL skill test with an examiner
Multi-Engine Instrument Rating 1 steps
Earn your multi-engine class rating and instrument rating
Learn to fly precisely by reference to instruments, including precision approaches, and to handle a multi-engine aeroplane with one engine inoperative.
Real-world task: Pass your multi-engine instrument rating skill test and record evidence of completion (rating and date).
Why it matters: Instrument and multi-engine skills are central to airline operations and required for the ATPL.
Checklist
- Complete instrument flying training, including precision and non-precision approaches
- Learn multi-engine systems and asymmetric flight
- Practise engine failure after take-off and single-engine go-arounds
- Pass the instrument rating skill test
MCC / APS MCC, UPRT and Airline Preparation 1 steps
Complete MCC or APS MCC and prepare for airline selection
Practise multi-crew cooperation and standard operating procedures in a jet simulator, and prepare for aptitude tests, technical interviews and simulator assessments.
Real-world task: Complete your MCC or APS MCC course and record evidence of completion (course certificate and date).
Why it matters: Airlines assess crew skills, and the MCC certificate is a prerequisite for a multi-pilot type rating.
Checklist
- Complete an MCC or APS MCC course at an ATO
- Practise crew communication and standard operating procedures
- Prepare an aviation CV with licences, ratings and logbook totals
- Practise aptitude tests and technical interview questions
Airline Entry and Type Rating 1 steps
Apply to airlines and complete the type rating
Apply when your licence, ratings, medical and language endorsement meet the airline’s published minimums and you have the right to work at its base, then complete the type rating and line training.
Real-world task: Complete your type rating and line training and record evidence of completion (aircraft type and release date).
Why it matters: The type rating and line training qualify you to fly a specific airliner as First Officer.
Checklist
- Check each airline’s minimum requirements, base locations and work-right rules
- Clarify who pays for the type rating and whether a bond applies
- Complete type rating theory and simulator training
- Complete line training under supervision
First Officer: Building ATPL Experience 1 steps
Track your progress toward the ATPL
The ATPL(A) requires 1,500 hours in aeroplanes, including 500 hours in multi-pilot operations, PIC or PIC-under-supervision time, 200 hours cross-country, 75 hours instrument time and 100 hours at night.
Real-world task: Reach an ATPL logbook milestone (for example 1,000 hours) and record evidence of completion with your totals by category.
Why it matters: Command eligibility depends on meeting the ATPL minimums and your airline’s own criteria.
Checklist
- Track total, multi-pilot, PICUS, cross-country, instrument and night time against the ATPL minimums
- Practise crew resource management on every flight
- Keep your Class 1 medical, licence, language endorsement and IR valid
- Ask your training department how command upgrades are scheduled
ATPL, Command Upgrade and Long-Term Career 1 steps
Obtain the ATPL and prepare for command
Complete the ATPL skill test, then prepare for your airline’s command upgrade assessment. Later roles can include Training Captain or examiner, depending on the airline.
Real-world task: Obtain your ATPL and record evidence of completion (issue date); later, record your command upgrade.
Why it matters: The ATPL and the airline’s upgrade process are what move a First Officer to the Captain’s seat.
Checklist
- Confirm your ATPL theory passes are still valid
- Complete the ATPL skill test
- Prepare for your airline’s command upgrade assessment
- Keep developing decision making and leadership as the senior pilot
Questions people ask about EASA Commercial Airline Pilot (Part-FCL CPL, IR and ATPL in Europe)
Clear answers regarding timelines, prerequisites, salaries, and study strategies.
Can I become an EASA commercial airline pilot after 10+2 or secondary school?
Yes. Part-FCL sets ages rather than school subjects: first solo from 16, PPL from 17, CPL from 18 and ATPL from 21. You can start an integrated course with no flying prerequisites or a modular route beginning with the PPL. Schools and airlines set their own entry requirements.
Can I become an airline pilot in Europe after graduation?
Yes. Graduates follow the same Part-FCL licences — a degree does not replace any medical, theory, flight-hour or skill-test requirement.
Do I need Physics and Mathematics?
The Part-FCL licence requirements reviewed set no school-subject requirement. Individual schools and airlines may ask for Maths, Physics or other qualifications, and these differ by country.
Do I need a university degree for an EASA pilot licence?
No degree is required by Part-FCL. Airlines decide their own hiring requirements.
What medical certificate do I need?
An EASA Class 1 medical certificate for CPL, MPL and ATPL privileges (at least Class 2 for a PPL). A student may not fly solo without the medical certificate required for the licence sought.
How much does EASA pilot training cost?
It varies widely by country and school. As one published example, FlyBy in Spain lists its integrated ATPL at €69,500 (basic) or €79,500 including room, board and shuttle; medicals, authority fees, retests and a type rating are extra. This is not an EASA-wide price.
How long does training take?
It varies. One published example: FlyBy states its integrated course runs “from 14 months”. Modular timelines depend on weather, aircraft and instructor availability, exam attempts, finances, medicals and airline recruitment.
How much do airline pilots earn in Europe?
EASA is a regulatory system, not one salary market, and no reliable country- and role-specific pay source was found in this review, so no figure is shown. Pay depends on the country, airline, aircraft and seniority.
What happens after the CPL?
Most airline candidates hold a CPL with a multi-engine instrument rating and ATPL theory, complete MCC or APS MCC, apply to airlines (subject to their requirements and work rights), and then complete a type rating and line training as First Officer.
How do I become an airline Captain under EASA rules?
By building First Officer experience to the ATPL(A) minimums (1,500 hours, including 500 in multi-pilot operations), holding the ATPL, and completing your airline’s command upgrade when seniority and vacancies allow.