Selection process · tests · interview · simulator check
Ryanair pilot assessment
Updated October 2026 · SET STANDARD
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Ryanair Group enters winter 2026-27 debt-free, with the FAA-certified MAX 10 arriving in spring 2027 and a three-year plan to enlarge cadet and first officer intakes; in October 2026 the open doors are AFA B737 cadets (EU, UK and UK partly-sponsored), the Future Flyer Academy, Buzz direct-entry captains (rated and non-rated) and Lauda A320 first officers, while direct-entry first officer postings are closed.
Ryanair is Europe's largest airline group by passenger numbers and the reference model of the European ultra-low-cost carrier. Its formula — a single aircraft type, point-to-point flying, fast turnarounds, secondary airports and relentless cost control — has been copied across the industry. For a candidate, Ryanair's history explains its culture: punctuality, standard procedures and efficiency are not slogans but the way the airline survived and grew.
Key facts
| Fleet | 647 aircraft at 31 Mar 2026: 410 B737-800, 210 B737-8200, 1 B737-700 (Buzz), 26 A320ceo (Lauda Europe); plus 4 Challenger 3500 support jets. Approx. by AOC: Ryanair DAC about 350, Malta Air about 180, Buzz about 77, Ryanair UK 15, Lauda Europe 26 (registry-based, mid-2025/26) |
|---|---|
| Orders | Boeing 737 MAX 10: 150 firm + 150 options (2023); FAA certified 20 Oct 2026; first 15-16 due spring 2027; up to 50 a year from FY30; all 300 by March 2034 if options are exercised |
| Bases | 95 bases, about 235 airports. Opened S26: Rabat, Tirana, Trapani. Closed W26: Berlin (24 Oct) and Thessaloniki; Rimini opens S27; Bremen exit March 2027 |
| People | Over 30,000 aviation professionals; Ryanair no longer breaks out pilot headcount (reported 7,000+ pilots); MAX 10 order to create about 10,000 jobs (pilots, crew, engineers) |
| Hiring 2026 | About EUR 25m a year for three years to raise cadet and FO intakes and FO crew ratios ahead of MAX 10 (Nov 2025); FFA targets 400+ cadets via AFTA and 400+ via Skyborne over four years |
| Entry routes | FFA Gateway 0 (ab initio), 1 (modular), 2 (APS MCC); AFA cadet (EU/RUK, UK partly-sponsored); DE rated and non-rated captain (Buzz); Lauda A320/CCQ FO; DE FO rated/non-rated when open |
Entry routes and requirements
Ryanair Future Flyer Academy - Gateway 0 (Integrated ab-initio)
Candidates with no flying experience
- No prior flying experience
- Minimum entry requirements of the chosen partner flight school
- Apply only through an approved partner school: AFTA (Cork), Aviomar (Rome-Parma), Astonfly (Paris), Bartolini Air (Lodz and Olsztyn-Mazury), Skyborne (Gloucestershire, Bournemouth, Vero Beach)
Future Flyer Academy - Gateway 1 (Modular, mentored)
PPL holders building towards CPL/IR
- PPL with 100 h PIC
- EASA ATPL theory exams completed
Future Flyer Academy - Gateway 2 (APS MCC)
Holders of EASA frozen ATPL / CPL / ME-IR
- EASA frozen ATPL, CPL or ME/IR
AFA B737 Cadet Pilots (EU bases / UK 'G-reg' / UK partly-sponsored DAC programme)
Newly qualified licence holders (frozen ATPL)
- Unrestricted right to live and work in the EU and/or UK (no visa sponsorship)
- Not over 65
- Valid EASA CPL/frozen ATPL (UK-only licence holders restricted to Ryanair UK fleet / self-sponsored route)
- EU Part-MED Class 1 medical
Direct Entry B737 Non-Type-Rated Experienced First Officer (Buzz bases) - closed Oct 2026
Pilots with airline FO experience on other types
- Unrestricted right to live and work in the EU
- Not over 65
- EASA Part-FCL licence, Class 1 medical
- Min 700 h total
The selection process, step by step
- Online applicationonline
Experienced pilots and cadets create a profile on Ryanair's pilot jobs portal and upload licence, medical, certificates and (cadets) the Head of Training flight school report. Future Flyer Academy ab-initio/modular applicants apply directly to an approved partner school instead.
- Online pre-assessment (Aon)online, from home
Shortlisted candidates complete an online test battery run by Aon (formerly cut-e), required under CAT.GEN.MPA.175; non-refundable EUR 60 fee paid to Aon. Experienced FOs complete four tasks, captains one.
- Selection day (cadets) / simulator and in-person interview (experienced pilots)in person, Dublin or another training centre used by the airline
Cadet selection day (Dublin or another group training centre, group flights provided): pre-simulator briefing and company presentation, 45-minute B737-800/8200 FTD assessment as PF and PM, English language test, 30-minute technical assessment on your current/previous type(s) and an approximately 30-minute personnel interview. For DE FOs and captains it is a one-day event at a European SIM centre with SIM assessment, HR interview and technical interview; a psychological evaluation forms part of it.
- Resultphone or email
Ryanair notifies all candidates by phone or email within 7 working days of the selection day (direct entry page: within 1 week). Successful DE candidates are then called to arrange a course date; the base is confirmed at offer stage.
- Final Ryanair cadet assessment (Future Flyer Academy route)in person
After completing flight training at the partner school, Future Flyer Academy cadets take a guaranteed final Ryanair assessment before the type rating. Those who fail receive feedback and may get extra training before a second attempt.
Aptitude and psychometric tests
- Aon/cut-e style tasks (reported): spatial orientation, complex control, numerical reasoning, reaction, working memory
- online cognitive/aptitude tasks (number of tasks varies by role)
- psychological evaluation (part of simulator/interview phase for experienced pilots)
- English language test (cadets)
- technical knowledge assessment
- maths and physics (Future Flyer Academy one-day assessment at partner schools)
Aon (online pre-assessment for cadets and direct entry pilots, EUR 60 fee; differs for captains and FOs) · Partner schools' own online tests for Future Flyer Academy (e.g. Cut-e/Aon at Bartolini Air)
Group exercise
Group exercises are part of the one-day assessment at partner schools for Future Flyer Academy Gateway 0 and 1 applicants. No group exercise is listed for the AFA cadet or direct entry selection day.
The interview
Personnel (HR/competency) interview of about 30 minutes plus a separate 30-minute technical assessment; psychological evaluation integrated into the experienced-pilot sim/interview phase
- motivation for Ryanair
- background and training record
- CRM and teamwork
- commitment to base/roster model
Typical questions to prepare
- Why Ryanair?
- What do you know about the Ryanair Group?
- What is the B737-8200 and why does it matter to Ryanair?
- What changes with the MAX 10?
- Tell me about your training record, including resits.
- Why did you choose an APS MCC?
The simulator assessment
| Device | B737-800 or B737-8200 FTD for cadets (official); direct-entry pilots: SIM at a European SIM centre (FFS reported) |
|---|---|
| Where | Dublin (AFA training centre) or another group training centre; East Midlands and other European centres reported for DE |
| Typical profile | Approximately 45 minutes, candidate flies as both Pilot Flying and Pilot Monitoring after a pre-simulator briefing; details of the profile are given on the day. |
Language and after selection
English ICAO Level 4 (Operational) minimum, with written proficiency also at operational level (ICAO Doc 9835). Flight school report must be in English.
Cadets are offered a B737 type rating course with AFA (Dublin / East Midlands): ground school (CBT systems, performance, W&B, FMS/SOPs, exam), FBS and FFS sessions, skills test, base training (circuits) and line training from the allocated base; about 2-3 months, with 3-6 month waits reported in 2026. Contracts: mostly direct local contracts taxed in the base country; some pilots are engaged via agencies (historically Brookfield Aviation, McGinley/MCG Aviation, Storm) with guaranteed minimum hours.
Common reasons candidates fail
- Weak raw-data handling once automation is removed
- Poor PF/PM coordination: silence, missing callouts or taking over the partner's role
- Unprepared technical answers on their own type or core ATPL subjects
- Generic HR answers without concrete STAR examples
- Flight school report inconsistencies or unexplained resits
Get the complete Ryanair Assessment Guide
175 pages: company history and culture, every stage of the selection, model interview answers, technical refresher, Boeing 737 systems and simulator assessment preparation. Updated for 2026.
Look inside the guideStatus: available · current to October 2026
Professional Manual Edition · the extended Ryanair guide
295 pages, A4 manual format with document control and chapter tabs. Everything in the guide above, expanded: competency-based assessment in depth, a full simulator preparation part, personal and competency interview, a technical interview chapter, practice papers, a quick-reference section and a personal preparation workbook to fill in before your assessment day.
| Assessment Guide | Professional Manual Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Pages | 175 | 295 |
| Practice papers and workbook | Question bank | Practice papers + personal workbook |
| Price | €39.90 | €59.90 |
Status: available · current to October 2026
About this guide
- Format
- PDF (bookmarked, iPad-optimised)
- Language
- English
- Edition
- Ed 2026 · Revision 1.0
- Current to
- October 2026
- Pages
- 175
- Status
- Available
- 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 did Ryanair start flying?
1985, Waterford to London Gatwick, with a 15-seat Embraer Bandeirante.
Who is Group CEO and until when does his contract run?
Michael O'Leary; Group CEO contract extended to July 2028.
Who chairs Ryanair Holdings?
Stan McCarthy.
Who is CEO of the Ryanair DAC airline?
Eddie Wilson.
Who leads Buzz, and who leads Malta Air and Lauda Europe?
Michal Kaczmarzyk (Buzz); David O'Brien (Malta Air and Lauda Europe).
Name the five group airlines.
Ryanair DAC, Ryanair UK, Buzz, Malta Air and Lauda Europe.
Preparation guides
Other airline assessments
Main sources
https://careers.ryanair.com/pilots/become-a-pilot
https://careers.ryanair.com/cadets/
https://careers.ryanair.com/?p=639
https://pilotjobs.ryanair.com/job/48/
https://pilotjobs.ryanair.com/job/59/
SET STANDARD is an independent training publisher, not affiliated with Ryanair. Information compiled from public sources and candidate reports; always confirm with the airline’s official careers page.