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Delta Air Lines pilot assessment

Updated October 2026 · SET STANDARD

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

Delta is hiring FAA-certificated pilots again in 2026 (about 2,000 planned after only about 600 in 2025) through direct entry and the Propel/Endeavor pathway, but a fuel-driven profit cut and Section 6 contract talks ahead of the 31 December 2026 amendable date add uncertainty to 2027 class dates.

Hiring direct-entry FOs (FAA certificates, U.S. work authorisation) and Propel candidates via Endeavor; robust pace reported through Q1 2027 (Oct 2026)

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Delta Air Lines is one of the world's largest and most profitable airlines, with about 1,000 mainline aircraft, the Endeavor Air regional and Delta Connection partners. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, it runs a hub-and-spoke network centred on Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, the world's busiest airport, plus Minneapolis, Detroit, Salt Lake City and the coastal hubs of New York, Boston, Seattle and Los Angeles. It is a founding member of SkyTeam with joint ventures across the Atlantic, Pacific and Latin America.

Key facts

Fleet	About 1,004 mainline (Jul 2026): 45 A220-100, 42 A220-300, 57 A319, 43 A320, 127 A321ceo, 99 A321neo, 11 A330-200, 31 A330-300, 39 A330-900, 23 A350-900, 80 717-200, 77 737-800, about 160 737-900ER, about 90-100 757-200 (retiring), 16 757-300, about 30-40 767-300ER (out by 2030), 21 767-400ER; plus about 130 Endeavor CRJ900s
Orders	About 330: 58 A220-300, 90 A321neo, 16 A330-900, 18 A350-900, 20 A350-1000 (from 2027), 100 737 MAX 10 (from 2027), 30 787-10 (from 2031)
Bases	8 pilot domiciles: ATL, BOS, DTW, LAX, MSP, NYC (JFK/LGA), SEA, SLC (A220 base added at MSP in spring 2026)
Pilots	About 17,300 mainline pilots represented by ALPA (Delta MEC)
Hiring 2026	About 2,000 planned by end-2026 (OBAP briefing, reported by ATP); about 600 hired in 2025 (ALPA)
Entry routes	Direct-entry FO (incl. military); Propel (Collegiate & CFI, Company, Scholarship) leading to a QJO via Endeavor Air; no DE captain

Entry routes and requirements

Delta Propel Pilot Career Path Program (Collegiate & CFI path)

Students or graduates of U.S. 4-year AABI-accredited flight programmes and graduates of Propel affiliate flight schools (e.g. ATP Flight School) who are instructing as CFIs

Actively instructing as a CFI and within 12 months of R-ATP/ATP minimums
Student/graduate of an AABI-accredited U.S. university programme or a Propel affiliate school (IR, CPL and CFI at the partner school)
Recommendation from the partner school (affiliate route)
FAA First Class Medical

Propel Company, Scholarship and Talent Community paths

Current Delta employees (Company path), candidates nominated by Delta affiliate organisations (Scholarship), and students at affiliate schools not yet eligible (Talent Community)

Company path: 24 months as an active Delta employee in good standing; PPL preferred, not beyond CPL single-engine; about 100 h fixed-wing preferred; 4-year degree preferred
Company path: FCC Radiotelephone Operator Permit by interview; First Class Medical; no felonies and no DUI/DWI in the last 10 years; never previously interviewed for a Delta pilot job
Scholarship path: nomination by an affiliate organisation; First Class Medical; passport and U.S. work eligibility

Endeavor Air direct hire (Delta Connection) with contractual path to Delta

Pilots at R-ATP/ATP minimums, CFIs, and experienced Part 121/135 FOs

FAA ATP or R-ATP eligibility (1,500 h, or R-ATP reductions), First Class Medical
U.S. work authorisation and passport for travel
Experienced FO route: prior Part 121/135 time; 750 qualifying hours allows retention-programme opt-in

Direct entry First Officer (mainline) incl. military pilots

Pilots from other carriers, regionals, corporate/cargo and the U.S. military (active, Guard, Reserve)

FAA Commercial certificate with instrument rating minimum (ATP competitive) and a current ATP written
Min 1,500 h total documented flight time (2,500 h competitive per ATP Flight School)
Min 50 h multi-engine
Reported: 1,000 h fixed-wing turbine preferred; at least 250 h PIC or SIC

The selection process, step by step

Online applicationonline (Delta pilot careers portal / Propel portal)
Application with flight time breakdown, certificates, employment and education history. Reported review by two members of an Application Review Team; incomplete applications reportedly add 60-90 days.
Online assessment (reported Aon / cut-e)online, unproctored
Reported battery of short timed tests: spatial orientation, reaction speed, deductive logic, monitoring, multitasking, auditory comprehension (ATC-style instructions), complex control, plus a forced-choice work-behaviour personality questionnaire.
Interview day in Atlanta: document review and panelin person, Delta HQ / training centre, Atlanta
Reported early start (about 06:45) with paperwork and logbook review, then a panel of two Delta line pilots and one HR representative: introduction and 'why Delta', two 'tell me about a time' questions and about three 'what would you do' scenarios. No systems quiz reported.
MMPI-2 personality inventoryin person, same day as panel (reported)
Standardised clinical personality inventory taken on site. Inconsistent or defensive answering is reported to trigger review or a retake.
Virtual psychologist interview (reported)video
Reported follow-up interview with a psychologist for candidates who pass the panel, often discussing MMPI results, life history and stress management.
Conditional Job Offer, background, drug test and medicaladministrative
CJO typically 1-3 weeks after interview (reported), then PRIA records, FAA/TSA fingerprint background check, DOT drug test and First Class medical review. Class date usually 3-4 months after CJO.

Aptitude and psychometric tests

spatial orientation
reaction / psychomotor
deductive logic
monitoring and multitasking
auditory comprehension
complex control

Aon / cut-e (reported, not official) · MMPI-2 (reported, on site)

The interview

Reported: panel of two Delta pilots plus one HR representative in Atlanta, about one hour; intro and 'why Delta', two TMAAT and about three WWYD scenarios; resume-driven, no systems questions; followed by MMPI-2 and a later virtual psychologist interview. Propel uses a single interview.

Why Delta and knowledge of its culture
Delta values: honesty, integrity, respect, perseverance, servant leadership
CRM, leadership and conflict resolution
Judgement in operational and ethical scenarios
Customer and team care

Typical questions to prepare

Why Delta?
Tell us about yourself.
Which Delta value means most to you, and why?
Tell me about a time you disagreed with a captain.
Tell me about a mistake you made in the aircraft.
Describe a time you showed leadership without being in command.

The simulator assessment

Device	No simulator check in current Delta selection (reported); post-hire training on Delta full-flight simulators of the assigned fleet
Where	Delta flight training centre, Atlanta (initial qualification); Salt Lake City facility for continuing qualification
Typical profile	Selection has no sim (reported). After hiring: about two weeks of indoctrination, then initial qualification under the FAA Advanced Qualification Program (AQP) in full-motion simulators in Atlanta, ending with a Maneuvers Validation and Line Operational Evaluation, then IOE.

Language and after selection

English proficiency required; FAA certificates carry the ICAO English proficiency endorsement and all training and interviews are in English.

New-hire indoctrination (about two weeks, reported) then fleet initial qualification under AQP at Delta's flight training centre in Atlanta (a Salt Lake City facility supports continuing qualification). Hotels provided during training (reported).

Common reasons candidates fail

Not meeting the eligibility basics: no FAA certificates or no U.S. work authorisation (non-sponsorable)
Inconsistencies between the application, logbook and PRIA records
Rehearsed, generic STAR answers that do not sound personal or show Delta's values
Poor engagement or demeanour during the day, not only in the panel (reported)
Weak or unsafe judgement in 'what would you do' scenarios (e.g. pressing on with fuel or duty issues)

Get the complete Delta Air Lines Assessment Guide

216 pages: company history and culture, every stage of the selection, model interview answers, technical refresher, Airbus & Boeing mixed fleet systems and a simulator chapter for preparation where a sim stage applies (no simulator stage is consistently reported in Delta Air Lines selection). 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: 216
Status: Preview · not on sale yet
Licence: Personal, single user · see licence terms
Updates: Update policy to be announced before sales open
Simulator stage: Not consistently reported for this selection (see above)

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.

Where is Delta headquartered?

Atlanta, Georgia, next to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Who is Delta's CEO?

Ed Bastian, CEO since May 2016

Who became Delta's President in April 2026?

Peter Carter, succeeding the retiring Glen Hauenstein

Who is Delta's Chief Operating Officer from April 2026?

Dan Janki, succeeding John Laughter

When and where was Delta founded?

1925, as Huff Daland Dusters, a crop-dusting company in Macon, Georgia

When did Delta's first passenger flight operate?

17 June 1929, Dallas to Jackson, Mississippi via Shreveport and Monroe

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.delta.com/us/en/careers/pilots/propel
https://www.endeavorair.com/content/endeavor-air/en_us/careers/pilots/STEP.html
https://www.endeavorair.com/content/endeavor-air/en_us/careers/pilots/ExperiencedFO.html
https://atpflightschool.com/airlines/delta-air-lines-propel-pilot-program.html
https://atpflightschool.com/news/current-pilot-hiring-announcements.html

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