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Air France pilot assessment

Updated October 2026 · SET STANDARD

Air France Assessment GuideLeave your email and we send you one message the day it is released.

Air France keeps hiring through two doors in 2026: the fully funded Cadets programme (2026 selection running Sept 2026-early 2027) and the Professional Pilot (OPL) selection for 2027 starts, but every route demands EEA/Swiss nationality and near-native French, and the airline is tightening costs after a weak 2026 fuel-hit first half.

Cadet 2026 selection in progress (PSY1 Oct 2026, PSY2 from Jan 2027); Professional Pilot offer open for Jan 2027 starts; HOP! pilots transferring at 72+/year (Oct 2026)

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Air France is France's flag carrier, created in 1933 from the merger of five pioneering companies and today the larger half of the Air France-KLM group with KLM, Transavia and HOP!. From its single hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle it flies close to 170 destinations in 73 countries with a modern Airbus A220/A350 and Boeing 777/787 fleet, and it is a founding member of SkyTeam. Its history mirrors French aviation itself: the Aeropostale heritage, the Caravelle and Concorde, the move to Roissy in 1974, privatisation and the 2004 merger with KLM, then a decade of restructuring and a strong premium repositioning.

Key facts

Fleet	About 227 mainline (30 Jun 2026): 57 A220-300, 36 A320, 8 A321, 4 A318, 1 A319; 42 A350-900, 43 777-300ER, 18 777-200ER, 10 787-9, 6 A330-200; 2 777F. HOP!: 26 E190 + 10 E170
Orders	A220 and A350 deliveries continuing (about 2 new aircraft a month); group firm backlog 215 aircraft (Dec 2025); A350F for cargo; A318/A319/A330-200 out by spring 2027
Bases	Paris-CDG (single hub); Orly only for Corsica PSO since Mar 2026; provincial pilot bases closed
Pilots	About 4,000 (2025); single seniority list with Transavia France
Hiring 2026	Close to 300 pilots hired in 2025; 2026 cadet campaign about 100 places (reported); OPL offer ref. 2026-23622 for 2027 starts
Entry routes	Cadets (ab initio, funded); Professional Pilot OPL (CPL/IR-ME or ATPL, any hours); HOP! Liste G; military via Professional route

Entry routes and requirements

Pilote Cadet Air France (ab initio, fully funded)

Candidates with little or no flying experience (no CPL(A) at the application deadline)

Nationality of an EEA member state or Switzerland
Fluent French (selection, training and operations are in French) and good English; from the 2026 intake the TOEIC is replaced by an enhanced English test inside PSY0
Education (one of): baccalaureate plus a valid EASA theoretical ATPL(A); second year of a scientific grande-ecole preparatory class (CPGE, Arts A/L excluded); scientific bac+2 or at least 120 ECTS; bachelor's degree or ongoing master's
Valid EASA Class 2 medical at the deadline (Class 1 also accepted); Class 1 examination before school entry

Pilote de ligne / Professional Pilot (direct-entry First Officer, OPL)

Licensed pilots with or without airline experience (fewer than 500 h may apply); military pilots must use this route

Nationality of an EEA member state or Switzerland
French at native/C2 level; non-native speakers must hold a French FCL.055 level 6
English: FCL.055 level 5 or higher plus TOEIC Listening & Reading of at least 850, less than 2 years old at selection (can be supplied at PSY1 invitation)
ATPL, or valid CPL/IR-ME with theoretical ATPL from an EU-approved ATO

HOP! pilots to Air France (Liste G mobility)

Pilots employed by HOP! (Air France regional subsidiary, E170/E190)

Listed on Liste G (registration closed 31 May 2025), ranked by HOP! seniority
Valid Air France selection (adapted selection; HOP! selection aligned with the AF standard for PSY2 sat from 1 Jan 2025)
24 months paid service after first HOP! line release and 12 months after the last career move

Transavia France pilots

Pilots of the low-cost subsidiary (737-800, A320neo)

Selected through the common Air France / Transavia selection

Captain (CDB)

Internal promotion

No direct-entry captain campaign found; command is by seniority-based internal progression

The selection process, step by step

Online applicationonline
Application only through the candidate area of recrutement.airfrance.com; postal applications are not processed. Professionals submit a CV and cover letter in French plus licence, medical, logbook and TOEIC documents; cadets pay the registration fee.
PSY0 online pre-selection (cadets only)remote, proctored (webcam, secure software)
Ranking test covering logic and reasoning, psychotechnical tasks, aeronautical general knowledge and, from 2026, an enhanced English test (reported to include listening, reading and speaking). Commercial prep providers report Aon (cut-e) style items and heavy filtering.
PSY1 psychotechnical and psychomotor testsin person at ENAC (Toulouse campus reported)
Computer-based aptitude batteries (reported themes: mental arithmetic, number and pattern series, matrices, spatial orientation and 3D rotation, memory, divided attention) plus a two-axis hand-foot or dual-stick psychomotor tracking task. Professionals are placed on a main list, a secondary list or not admitted.
PSY2 personality, group test and individual interviewin person at Roissy-CDG
Two personality inventories (Air France has cited Pearson TalentLens SOSIE and TD-12), a group exercise under a confidentiality agreement, and an individual interview. Each jury pairs an expert Air France pilot with a psychologist using standard observation grids; hypotheses from the inventories are discussed with the candidate.
Simulator assessment (professionals, if requested)in person
Air France states a simulator test is possible when recommended by the recruitment committee. Prep schools report an Airbus A320 device; profile not published.
Recruitment committee, medical and training call-upcommittee decision
The committee decides pass, deferral (re-application after 1 or 2 years) or elimination, or requests a simulator test. Cadets complete a Class 1 initial medical before school entry.

Aptitude and psychometric tests

logic and abstract reasoning
mental arithmetic and numerical
spatial orientation
memory and attention
psychomotor multitasking
aeronautical general knowledge (cadets)

Pearson TalentLens (SOSIE and TD-12 personality inventories, cited by Air France's selection psychologist) · ENAC (hosts PSY1 testing)

Group exercise

PSY2 group test held at Roissy-CDG under a confidentiality agreement; observed by a pilot and a psychologist for teamwork, communication and behaviour that suits a two-pilot cockpit. Air France says paid group-exercise coaching showed no added value.

The interview

Individual interview in French at PSY2 with a jury of one Air France pilot and one psychologist; reported 30-60 min; feedback on profile hypotheses at the end

motivation and career project (why airline pilot, why Air France)
CRM, teamwork and conflict handling
stress and error management
self-awareness and consistency with personality inventories
knowledge of Air France, the group and the OPL role

Typical questions to prepare

Tell us about yourself and your path to this selection.
Why do you want to become an airline pilot?
Why Air France rather than another airline?
What do you know about the Air France-KLM group?
What changed at Orly in 2026 and why?
You could be assigned to Transavia rather than Air France. How do you feel about that?

The simulator assessment

Device	Airbus A320 FFS or fixed-base device (reported); not systematic
Where	Air France training facilities, Paris area (reported)
Typical profile	not published; reported to test basic handling, instrument flying and procedural discipline

Language and after selection

French is mandatory: cadets need fluent French; professionals need C2/bilingual or French FCL.055 level 6 for non-natives. English: professionals FCL.055 level 5+ and TOEIC 850+ (under 2 years); cadets assessed by an enhanced English test in PSY0 from 2026.

Professionals: SADE conversion course, type rating or NAF standardisation, supervised line flying and line check; assignment to Air France or Transavia France by company need, Paris-CDG base for Air France (2026 offer). Cadets: 24-month funded course at partner school, then the same conversion path as OPL on A220/A320 (Air France) or 737/A320neo (Transavia France).

Common reasons candidates fail

French not truly fluent: the CV, interview and group test are all in French
Under-prepared mental arithmetic and psychomotor tasks at PSY1
Dominating or disappearing in the group exercise
Inconsistency between personality inventories and interview answers
Generic motivation with no knowledge of Air France, the group or the OPL role

Get the complete Air France Assessment Guide

223 pages: company history and culture, every stage of the selection, model interview answers, technical refresher, A220 · A320 family · A350 · 777 · 787 systems and simulator assessment preparation. Updated for 2026.

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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: 223
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 France officially inaugurated?

7 October 1933, at Le Bourget (after a merger agreed in August 1933).

Which emblem did Air France inherit from Air Orient?

The winged seahorse (hippocampe aile), nicknamed 'la crevette'.

What is Air France's main hub?

Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), run as a connecting hub since 1996.

When did Air France stop flying from Orly and what remains?

Last flights 28 March 2026; only Corsica public-service routes remain at Orly.

Who is the CEO of Air France?

Anne Rigail, CEO since December 2018.

Who is CEO of the Air France-KLM group?

Benjamin Smith (also chairs the Air France board).

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://corporate.airfrance.com/en/airline-pilot
https://recrutement.airfrance.com/offre-de-emploi/emploi-pilote-de-ligne-f-h_23622.aspx
https://corporate.airfrance.com/fr/actualites/devenez-pilote-la-campagne-de-recrutement-du-programme-cadets-air-france-est-ouverte
https://corporate.airfrance.com/en/press-releases/cadet-pilots-air-france-launches-new-recruitment-campaign
https://www.air-journal.fr/2026-06-17-air-france-rouvre-sa-filiere-cadets-une-formation-de-pilote-de-ligne-100-financee-5275748.html

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