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Air Arabia pilot assessment

Updated October 2026 · SET STANDARD

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Air Arabia keeps recruiting A320-rated pilots through regional drives and feeds its long-term pipeline from its own Sharjah MPL academy, with new demand from the Dammam LCC launched in September 2026 offset by conflict-driven capacity cuts across the Gulf.

Hiring type-rated FOs and Captains by campaign (Dammam, Fly Jinnah, overseas drives) and 2027 MPL cadets (Oct 2026)

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Air Arabia was launched in 2003 by Amiri Decree of the Ruler of Sharjah as the first low-cost airline in the Middle East and North Africa. From one base at Sharjah it has grown into a listed group with hubs in the UAE (Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi), Morocco, Egypt and Pakistan, and since September 2026 a new Saudi low-cost airline at Dammam, all flying the Airbus A320 family. For a candidate, Air Arabia combines strict cost discipline with consistent profitability: it posted a record AED 1.8 billion pre-tax profit in 2025 and stayed profitable in H1 2026 despite the regional conflict and airspace closures.

Key facts

Fleet	96 Airbus A320/A321 (H1 2026): mostly A320ceo, plus A320neo, A321ceo, A321neo LR
Orders	120 A320neo family (2019): 73 A320neo, 27 A321neo, 20 A321XLR; neo deliveries since Sep 2025, XLR from 2027
Bases	Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi, Morocco (Casablanca + others), Alexandria, Karachi (Fly Jinnah), Dammam (new Saudi LCC)
Pilots	Not published; est. 1,000+ across the group AOCs
Hiring 2026	Campaign-based: South America FOs (Mar 2026), Malaysia drive, Dammam open days, Fly Jinnah; 2027 MPL intakes open
Entry routes	Air Arabia Academy MPL cadet; DE type-rated FO; DE type-rated Captain; UAE-national roles

Entry routes and requirements

Air Arabia Academy Airline Pilot Training Programme (MPL)

School leavers / zero-experience candidates (self-funded)

High school (10+2) or equivalent; last 3 years of transcripts if school is highest qualification
Age 17-35; height 160-195 cm (reported 2026)
Sponsor documents if under 21
Pass academy selection: clearance, Class 1 medical, aptitude (academic, psychomotor, personality), academic test (maths, physics, English), panel interview

A320 First Officer (type-rated, direct entry)

A320-family rated FOs

Valid A320 type rating, current on Airbus FBW (recency per campaign; Malaysia drive asked for 2+ months validity)
A320 hours by campaign: 500-750 (KSA/Pakistan 2025), 800 (South America 2026), 1,500 (Malaysia drive)
ICAO CPL/IR or ATPL (ATPL preferred); Class 1; ELP Level 4+
Max age 45 (Malaysia drive) to 50 (KSA)

A320 Captain (type-rated, direct entry)

A320-family commanders

A320 type rating; 4,000-5,000 h TT incl. 800+ h on A320 family (800 PIC for KSA)
ICAO ATPL; Class 1; ELP Level 4+
Max age 59 (KSA) to 60

The selection process, step by step

Online application / regional recruitment drivecareers portal or in-person drive abroad
CV, licence, medical and logbook screened against campaign minima; shortlisted pilots invited by the Pilot Talent Acquisition Team to a drive or to Sharjah.
Technical assessmentin person, written/computer
Officially listed technical assessment; reported as an A320 systems/limitations and general ATPL knowledge test.
Psychometric assessmentcomputer
Officially listed (also GACA-compliant for Dammam roles); personality and reasoning style.
Interviewpanel, in person
Personal interview with flight operations and HR (reported); motivation, low-cost mindset and CRM examples.
Simulator assessmentin person, A320 FFS (reported Sharjah)
Historically day two of the process, only for those passing day one (reported).
Medical and offerin person
Medical fitness check to company and CAA (GCAA/GACA/PCAA) standards; result reported about two weeks after the assessment.

Aptitude and psychometric tests

technical (A320/ATPL)
psychometric
academy cadet selection: aptitude (academic, psychomotor, personality), academic test (maths, physics, English), panel interview; group exercises reported

Not published (academy cadet selection reported to use a computer-based aptitude battery incl. psychomotor and a FAST-type tool)

Group exercise

Cadet/academy selection includes supervised group exercises (reported); none reported for rated pilots.

The interview

Personal interview (rated); academy chief ground instructor interview plus Air Arabia interview (cadet, reported)

motivation
safety
cost orientation

Typical questions to prepare

Why Air Arabia?
Why do you want to fly for a low-cost carrier?
Which base would you prefer and are you flexible?
What do you know about the Air Arabia Group?
How did the 2026 regional conflict affect Air Arabia?
Tell us about a time you prevented a safety issue.

The simulator assessment

Device	Airbus A320 FFS (Level D, TRU Simulation + Training)
Where	Air Arabia training facility, Sharjah International Airport (reported); regional drives may use local A320 sims
Typical profile	Not published; reported as takeoff, engine fire/failure, radar-vectored ILS, go-around and second approach to landing

Language and after selection

English; ELP above Level 4. Arabic not required.

Operator conversion, sim and line training at the assigned group base (approx. 3 months at training pay); cadets join as MPL first officers and build 1,500 h toward ATPL.

Common reasons candidates fail

Not meeting campaign minima precisely (A320 hours, currency, age) and being screened out
Weak A320 systems knowledge in the technical test
Inconsistent psychometric answers
No clear reason for choosing a low-cost, multi-hub group
Inflexibility on base or contract type

Get the complete Air Arabia Assessment Guide

179 pages: company history and culture, every stage of the selection, model interview answers, technical refresher, Airbus A320 family systems and simulator assessment preparation. Updated for 2026.

Look inside the guide

Status: Preview · current to October 2026 · not on sale yet · join the waiting list

About this guide

Format: PDF (bookmarked, iPad-optimised)
Language: English
Edition: Ed 2026 · Revision 1.0
Current to: October 2026
Pages: 179
Status: Preview · not on sale yet
Licence: Personal, single user · see licence terms
Updates: Update policy to be announced before sales open
Simulator stage: Covered as reported by candidates and public sources

Independent publication. Facts in this overview are labelled “reported” when they come from candidate reports rather than official sources — see the editorial standards. Notify me about this guide · See it in the catalogue

Practice questions: company knowledge

Interview practice drawn from public sources; the answers are not an FAQ about the guide.

When was Air Arabia founded?

2003, by Amiri Decree of the Ruler of Sharjah

First Air Arabia route?

Sharjah to Bahrain, October 2003

Where is Air Arabia listed?

Dubai Financial Market (DFM), since 2007

Group CEO?

Adel Ali

Chairman?

Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Thani

Fleet size at H1 2026?

96 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft

Preparation guides

Pilot Aptitude Tests: What They Measure and How to Practise Pilot Assessment Guide: How Airline Selection Works and How to Prepare Pilot Group Exercise: How to Show Real Crew Behaviour Pilot Interview Questions: How to Prepare Competency and Technical Answers Pilot Personality Questionnaire: Honesty, Consistency and Crew Fit Pilot Simulator Assessment: What to Expect and How to Prepare Pilot Technical Interview: Key Topics and How to Explain Them

Other airline assessments

Main sources

https://www.flightdeckfriend.com/job/air-arabia-a320-rated-first-officers-2/
https://www.flightdeckfriend.com/job/air-arabia-national-cadet-program/
https://afm.aero/uae-based-low-cost-carrier-air-arabia-to-host-2025-pilot-recruitment-events-in-south-america
https://airinsight.com/air-arabia-seeks-a320-pilots-in-argentina-and-chile-for-its-2026-recruitment-drive/
https://gulfnews.com/preview/story/7NYpchRUzHmTuF2pW-gkXZgrAiE6KUZAz11sixE9Eqj8OLolwzHE6fKl5mKtCqXv

SET STANDARD is an independent training publisher, not affiliated with Air Arabia. Information compiled from public sources and candidate reports; always confirm with the airline’s official careers page.