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Alaska Airlines pilot assessment

Updated October 2026 · SET STANDARD

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Alaska Airlines is recruiting FAA-qualified First Officers again in 2026 for a combined Alaska-Hawaiian operation, with the Horizon Pathways and Ascend pipelines feeding it, but the pace depends on 737-10 deliveries, fuel-driven losses and a pilot JCBA that is still unsigned.

Accepting direct-hire FO applications (posting open to 31 Dec 2026); interviews reported Sept-Oct 2026; U.S. work authorisation mandatory (Oct 2026)

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Alaska Airlines is the main airline of Alaska Air Group, headquartered in SeaTac, Washington. Born as a bush operation in Anchorage in 1932, it grew into the fifth-largest U.S. carrier, and in 2024 it acquired Hawaiian Airlines. The two now fly under a single FAA operating certificate (since October 2025) while keeping both brands, with regional flying by Horizon Air and SkyWest on Embraer E175s.

Key facts

Fleet	About 424 aircraft (Q3 2026). Alaska: 737-700 (11), 737-800 (59), 737-900ER (79), 737 MAX 8 (20), 737 MAX 9 (80), 787-9 (5). Hawaiian: A321neo (18), A330-200 (24), 717-200 (19), A330-300F (10, Amazon). Freighters 737-700F/-800F. Regional E175: Horizon 49, SkyWest 43
Orders	737-10 order book from Jan 2026 order (105 firm + 35 options; 245 737s on order in total); 12 more 787s (787-9 and 787-10, 17 firm fleet); 737-10 still awaiting FAA certification
Bases	Alaska pilots: SEA, PDX, ANC, SFO, LAX, SAN (opened June 2026). Hawaiian pilots: HNL, SEA (787, March 2026), CVG (A330F)
Pilots	About 3,300 Alaska and 1,200 Hawaiian pilots (ALPA), separate lists until the JCBA is ratified
Hiring 2026	About 90 new FOs planned for early 2026; reported pause tied to 737-10 timing, interviews running again Sept-Oct 2026
Entry routes	Direct-hire FO (Alaska 737 or Hawaiian), Horizon Pathways, Ascend Pilot Academy (ab initio), Horizon PDP; no DE captain

Entry routes and requirements

Ascend Pilot Academy (ab initio, via Horizon Air)

People with little or no flying experience (no more than a PPL) who want a structured path to Horizon Air and then Alaska

No more than a Private Pilot certificate at entry
Minimum age 18; high school diploma or equivalent
FAA First Class Medical
Authorised to work in the U.S.; passport allowing unrestricted U.S. travel without a temporary resident permit

Horizon Air Pilot Development Program and Pathways to Alaska

Student pilots (PDP, from PPL) and current Horizon Air E175 pilots seeking a mainline seat

PDP: Private Pilot certificate and First Class Medical; stipends up to USD 12,500 reported (partner schools incl. Pacific Flight Academy, Honolulu)
Horizon FO hiring (reported): 1,500 h total (R-ATP reductions apply), 25 h multi-engine, commercial certificate, age 21
Pathways: employed Horizon pilot meeting Alaska's minimums (1,500 h, 500 h turbine, ATP written) and selected at a Pathways interview

Direct-hire First Officer - Alaska Airlines (B737)

Pilots from regionals, other Part 121/135 carriers, military and corporate aviation

1,500 h total documented flight time
500 h fixed-wing turbine time
FAA Commercial Pilot certificate with Instrument-Airplane, meeting all 14 CFR 61.159 ATP aeronautical experience, plus a current ATP written test (ATP certificate preferred, not required)
Current FAA First Class Medical

Direct-hire First Officer - Hawaiian Airlines (A321neo / A330 / 787 / 717)

Experienced FAA ATP holders willing to be based in Honolulu, Seattle (787) or Cincinnati (A330 freighter)

FAA ATP certificate with Airplane Multiengine Land rating and English proficiency endorsement
Same core minimums as Alaska (1,500 h, 500 h turbine, First Class Medical, U.S. work authorisation, unrestricted passport, age 23)
Domicile: Honolulu, Seattle or Cincinnati

The selection process, step by step

Online applicationonline (careers.alaskaair.com / iCIMS pilot portal)
Profile with flight-time breakdown, certificates, ATP written result, employment history and education. Records review against posted minimums; Pathways candidates apply through the internal Horizon process.
Screening / virtual session (reported)phone or video
Candidates report a recruiter phone screen or a short virtual (Zoom) session before the invitation; no named psychometric test platform is consistently reported for Alaska in 2025-26.
Interview day - group interviewin person (Seattle area; new Global Training Center, Renton, reported from Oct 2026)
Reported 2025-26: welcome by chief pilots and talent acquisition, a presentation on Alaska's history and plans, then a group round (about 4-8 candidates, panel of two HR/TA plus two chief pilots) where each candidate draws a question face down and answers aloud, mostly 'tell me about a time' items.
CRM / scenario exercisepairs or small group
Reported: a scenario card with METARs and resources (e.g. a gusty, low-visibility arrival with an inexperienced FO, a diversion or a disruptive passenger) worked through with a partner while assessors observe decision-making and teamwork.
Individual interviewin person, 2-on-1 (line or chief pilot plus talent acquisition)
Behavioural and scenario questions, logbook and history review, light technical questions (reported as minimal by several 2026 candidates; others report 737/Part 121 items). Older guides also mention a 737 simulator evaluation, not described in recent reports.
Conditional job offer, background and class dateadministrative
Conditional offer subject to PRIA records, background and SIDA badge eligibility, DOT drug test and medical; class assignment depends on hiring needs and 737-10 delivery timing.

Aptitude and psychometric tests

recruiter screen / virtual session (reported)
group behavioural questions
CRM scenario exercise

None consistently reported for direct-hire FOs (2025-26)

Group exercise

Reported: group question round with a four-person panel and a paired CRM scenario exercise based on METARs and resources.

The interview

Group round plus individual 2-on-1 interview with a pilot and talent acquisition; behavioural (TMAT/STAR) and scenario-based, light technical

Why Alaska and the combined Alaska-Hawaiian future
Safety and speaking up
Kindness and guest service
CRM, conflict and leadership
Judgement in operational scenarios

Typical questions to prepare

Why Alaska Airlines?
What do you know about the Hawaiian integration?
Tell me about a time you identified a safety concern others missed.
Describe a disagreement with a captain.
Tell me about going above and beyond for a passenger or colleague.
Tell me about a checkride you failed.

The simulator assessment

Device	B737 FFS (NG/MAX) at the Global Training Center, Renton
Where	Renton, Washington (opened January 2026; nine 737 and one 787 full-flight simulators)
Typical profile	If used, reported as a short raw-data or automation-light profile with ILS/RNAV approaches, an engine failure and CRM throughout.

Language and after selection

Strong written and verbal English required; Hawaiian postings require the FAA English proficiency endorsement.

New-hire indoctrination and B737 type training at the Global Training Center, Renton (opened 30 January 2026, 10 full-flight simulators), then IOE. Domicile by seniority bid among SEA, PDX, ANC, SFO, LAX and SAN; Hawaiian hires at HNL, SEA (787) or CVG.

Common reasons candidates fail

Applying without U.S. work authorisation or without the FAA experience and ATP written (EASA licences do not qualify)
Too little quality turbine time or recency compared with competitive applicants
Long, unstructured group answers that ignore the question drawn
Dominating or ignoring the partner in the CRM exercise
Not owning past failures, gaps or incidents

Get the complete Alaska Airlines Assessment Guide

208 pages: company history and culture, every stage of the selection, model interview answers, technical refresher, Boeing 737 · 787 · A321neo · A330 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: 208
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 and where was Alaska Airlines founded?

1932 in Anchorage, as McGee Airways

Where is Alaska Airlines headquartered?

SeaTac, Washington

Who is CEO of Alaska Air Group?

Ben Minicucci

Who leads Hawaiian Airlines within the group?

Diana Birkett Rakow, EVP and CEO Hawaiian Airlines

Who is CEO of Horizon Air?

Andy Schneider

When did the Hawaiian acquisition close?

18 September 2024 (about USD 1.9bn)

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://careers.alaskaair.com/career-opportunities/pilots/alaska-airlines
https://pilotjobs-alaskaair.icims.com/jobs/20137/first-officer---alaska-airlines/job
https://interns-alaskaair.icims.com/jobs/18457/ascend-pilot-academy/job
https://avweb.com/aviation-news/alaska-airlines-launches-new-pilot-academy/
https://afm.aero/alaska-airlines-ascend-pilot-academy-offers-cadet-pipeline-via-hillsboro-aero-academy-in-2026

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