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Riyadh Air pilot assessment

Updated October 2026 · SET STANDARD

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Riyadh Air is still building its pilot body from zero, recruiting direct-entry B787-9 and A321neo Captains and First Officers worldwide (typed or non-rated) for a fleet heading to 67 787s, 60 A321neos and 31 A350-1000s, but the October 2026 Houthi attacks that closed its Riyadh hub add real short-term uncertainty.

Hiring DE Captains and FOs, B787-9 and A321neo, rated and non-rated (Oct 2026); Saudi cadet scholarships; ops disrupted since 8 Oct

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Riyadh Air (RX/RXI) is Saudi Arabia's new full-service national carrier, wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and created to make Riyadh a global hub between Europe, Asia and Africa. Built from scratch around Boeing 787-9s, with 787-10s, Airbus A321neos and A350-1000s on order, it aims to serve more than 100 destinations by 2030. Its short history shows a start-up culture with a premium, digital-first ambition: aircraft orders before the first flight, a soft launch to London on a leased Dreamliner in October 2025, then a rapid 2026 rollout to around 15 cities, tested in October 2026 by Houthi missile attacks that closed its Riyadh hub.

Key facts

Fleet	About 8 Boeing 787-9 (7 own plus 1 ex-Oman Air spare/trainer), 290 seats; three more due within weeks (Oct 2026)
Orders	Up to 67 787s (incl. 20 787-10), 60 A321neo (about half reported A321LR), 31 A350-1000; first A321neo before end-2026
Bases	Single hub: King Khalid International, Riyadh (RUH); aircraft temporarily dispersed to Jeddah, Medina, AlUla in Oct 2026
Pilots	Headcount not published; 700-pilot target within three years announced at start-up; highly multinational
Hiring 2026	Active: roadshows in UK, Asia, Europe, South America; spokesperson said no hiring slowdown during the regional situation (May 2026)
Entry routes	DE Captain B787-9 (6,000 h / 2,000 h command) and A321neo; DE FO B787-9 (2,000 h jet) and A321neo (1,500 h jet); Saudi FO scholarships

Entry routes and requirements

First Officer B787-9 (type-rated or non-rated)

Experienced multi-crew jet pilots

Valid ICAO ATPL
Min 2,000 h multi-crew, multi-engine jet, operating seat only (simulator, flight engineer and second officer time excluded)
Unrestricted Class 1 medical
ICAO English Level 5 or above

First Officer A321neo

Narrowbody jet FOs (A320 family experience an advantage)

Valid ICAO ATPL
Min 1,500 h multi-crew, multi-engine jet, operating seat only
Min 150 h in the 12 months before joining
Unrestricted Class 1 medical

Captain B787-9 (type-rated or non-rated)

Experienced widebody captains

Valid ICAO ATPL
Min 6,000 h multi-crew, multi-engine turbojet, operating seat only
Min 2,000 h recent command, preferably widebody (B787/B777)
Min 150 h in command in the 12 months before joining

Captain A321neo (reported)

Experienced narrowbody captains

Valid ICAO ATPL
Min 6,000 h total
Min 2,000 h command, preferably A320 family
Unrestricted Class 1 medical

Saudi national pathways (First Officer scholarship / Wa'ed / Nawat)

Saudi nationals

Saudi nationality
Employment contract with Riyadh Air signed before study (Wa'ed track)

The selection process, step by step

Online application / roadshowonline (Riyadh Air pilot careers portal on iCIMS); international roadshows (Dubai Sep 2025; London Gatwick and Manchester early 2026; Hong Kong 24 Apr and Singapore 26 Apr 2026; South America planned)
Apply with licence, logbook summary, medical and employment history; Crew/Talent Acquisition reviews against fleet and rank minima.
Teams screening interview (reported)video call
Talent acquisition plus a Riyadh Air captain; CV confirmation, motivation, relocation and terms and conditions discussed early.
Online psychometric assessment (reported)online, AON platform reported
Cognitive reasoning, decision-making style and personality questionnaire.
Technical panel interview (reported)panel (in person or video)
SOPs, aircraft systems, CRM, leadership and past experience, plus cultural fit with a premium start-up.
Simulator assessment (reported)FFS, crewed pair
B787 simulator evaluation reported in London or Dubai, also for non-rated candidates; handling, instrument flying, CRM and abnormals.
Final checks, GACA Class 1 medical, contractadministrative
Medical verification, background checks, document attestation and contract offer; reported overall process 6-12 weeks.

Aptitude and psychometric tests

psychometric / cognitive reasoning
decision-making
personality questionnaire

AON (reported)

The interview

Teams screening (TA plus captain), then technical panel interview (reported)

Experience and motivation
Fit with a premium, digital-first start-up
Safety, CRM and leadership
Relocation or commuting plan

Typical questions to prepare

Why Riyadh Air rather than an established Gulf carrier?
What do you know about our fleet and orders?
How does Riyadh Air fit Saudi Vision 2030?
Our hub was closed by missile attacks in October 2026. How do you feel about operating here?
Tell us about a time you improved a procedure.
Describe a conflict with a captain or FO and how you solved it.

The simulator assessment

Device	B787 Level D FFS (reported for assessment); Riyadh Air's own CAE 7000XR 787-9 and A321neo FFS in Riyadh
Where	Reported London or Dubai partner sims for roadshow candidates; Riyadh training centre for type training
Typical profile	Not officially published; reported handling, instrument flying, CRM and abnormals.

Language and after selection

ICAO English Level 5 or above for B787 and captain roles; A321 FO listing states Level 4 or above.

Base Riyadh (RUH); type rating in Riyadh on CAE-operated B787-9 or A321neo FFS for non-rated pilots; permanent employment with visa sponsorship; commuting / lifestyle roster option reported subject to criteria.

Common reasons candidates fail

Logbook hours that do not meet the operating-seat jet definition (sim, SO or FE time counted)
Weak, generic motivation that could apply to any Gulf carrier
No credible plan or honesty about relocation to Riyadh or the commuting roster
Poor CRM with the sim partner, especially silence or dominance in the non-normal
Unstructured answers in the technical panel; lack of STAR examples

Get the complete Riyadh Air Assessment Guide

185 pages: company history and culture, every stage of the selection, model interview answers, technical refresher, Boeing 787 / Airbus A321neo 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: 185
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 Riyadh Air announced?

12 March 2023, by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Who owns Riyadh Air?

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), 100%

Who is the CEO?

Tony Douglas, former Etihad Airways CEO

Who chairs the board?

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of PIF

Who is Chief Operations Officer?

Captain Martin Eiba (previously VP Flight Operations)

IATA and ICAO codes?

RX and RXI (callsign RIYADH)

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/riyadh-air-non-rated-first-officers-captains/
https://pilotsglobal.com/job/B787-Dreamliner-captain-riyadh_air-SA-1ebd28d847
https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2026/09/13/riyadh-air-pilot-salary-2026/
https://afm.aero/riyadh-air-continues-2026-international-pilot-recruitment-roadshow-with-uk-events-and-upcoming-asia-stops
https://gulfnews.com/business/aviation/gulfs-newest-airline-riyadh-air-launches-ambitious-recruitment-drive---targets-700-pilots-in-3-years-1.1693365984762

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