Selection process · tests · interview · after-hire training

UPS Airlines pilot assessment

Updated October 2026 · SET STANDARD

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UPS Airlines keeps hiring direct-entry First Officers at a modest, retirement-driven pace in 2026 while it absorbs about 275 former MD-11 pilots into the 767 and A300 fleets; applicants need an FAA ATP, substantial turbine PIC time and U.S. work authorisation.

Hiring selectively: phone screens, Hogan and Zoom panels reported through 2026; no visa sponsorship (Oct 2026)

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UPS Airlines is the all-cargo airline of United Parcel Service and one of the largest cargo carriers in the world. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, it feeds the company's global small-package and freight network from Worldport, its main U.S. air hub, with regional hubs across the U.S. and international hubs in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Founded as an airline in 1988, it grew from contracted flying into a fleet of about 270 jets: Boeing 747-8F and 747-400F, 767-300F, 757-200PF and Airbus A300-600F.

Key facts

Fleet	About 274 owned jets (30 Jun 2026, excl. MD-11): 30 747-8F, 11 747-400F + 2 747-400BCF, about 100+ 767-300F (incl. 5 ex-JAL 767-300BCF), 75 757-200PF, 52 A300-600RF; about 213 chartered aircraft
Orders	Last 767-300Fs of the 2021-22 orders: 18 due within 15 months of Jan 2026 (5 in H1 2026, 10 in H2 2026, 3 in 2027); A300-600F phase-out planned by 2035; MD-11F retired
Bases	Pilot domiciles SDF, ANC, MIA, ONT (reported); air hubs SDF Worldport, PHL, ONT, DFW, RFD, MIA, YHM, CGN, HKG, SZX, PVG
Pilots	About 3,500, represented by the Independent Pilots Association (IPA); contract amendable since 1 Sept 2025, NMB-mediated talks since Dec 2025
Hiring 2026	No official target; interviews reported Dec 2025 to May 2026; MD-11 pilots retrained with pay protection, no furloughs
Entry routes	Direct-hire non-type-rated First Officer; FlightPath I (college to Ameriflight to UPS); no direct-entry captain

Entry routes and requirements

Direct-hire First Officer (all fleets, non-type-rated)

Experienced FAA ATP holders from passenger airlines, cargo carriers, Part 135 turbine operators, corporate and military flying

Current unrestricted FAA ATP certificate, airplane multi-engine, with English proficiency endorsement (R-ATP not sufficient)
Minimum 1,500 h total fixed-wing time
Minimum 1,000 h PIC in fixed-wing jet and/or multi-engine turboprop (listed as minimum on recent postings, preferred on older ones; military may add 0.3 h per sortie)
Current FAA First Class Medical

UPS FlightPath I (college pathway via Ameriflight)

U.S. university juniors, seniors or graduates of the last 24 months holding a CPL with ME/IR

FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate with multi-engine and instrument ratings
Junior or senior year, or graduated within the last 24 months, with GPA 3.0 or higher
Must meet UPS Airlines requirements and complete its hiring process (application, records review, interview)

The selection process, step by step

Online application and records reviewonline (UPS careers portal)
Application with screening questions, flight-time breakdown (total, PIC, turbine, transport category, recency), certificates and education. Active applications reportedly roll over at year end; referrals stay on file while the application is active.
Phone screen (reported)phone
Reported in 2025-26 with a recruiter or retired UPS captain: career overview ('tell me about yourself'), confirmation of flight experience, why UPS, availability.
Hogan assessment (reported)online
Online personality and values questionnaire (Hogan) reportedly sent a few days after the phone screen; also part of the FlightPath pathway (official).
Panel interview (Zoom, reported)video
One HR representative plus a retired UPS captain or assistant chief pilot. HR covers behavioural questions (CRM, conflict, leadership, safety contribution); the pilot covers technical items such as chart/STAR briefing, holding entry, V1 cut on your current aircraft, an LOC or RNAV approach brief and systems of your current type.
Conditional offer, background, PRIA, drug screen and medicaladministrative
Decision reported 30-45 days after interview; conditional offer subject to background and FAA records (PRIA), pre-employment drug test and medical. Class date and fleet assigned by need; classes reportedly run through about September and pause during the peak season.
New-hire indoctrination and type training (Louisville)training
Company indoctrination and fleet qualification at the UPS training centre in Louisville (some training in Anchorage reported), followed by IOE with an instructor pilot on line flights.

Aptitude and psychometric tests

personality
values / motives
derailers

Hogan Assessments (reported for direct hire; official for FlightPath)

The interview

Virtual panel (reported): one HR representative and one retired UPS captain or assistant chief pilot, about 45-90 min, relaxed tone

Why UPS and why cargo
CRM, conflict and leadership
Contribution to safety, TEM, Swiss-cheese thinking
Night and international lifestyle, domicile flexibility

Typical questions to prepare

Why UPS?
Why cargo rather than a passenger airline?
Tell me about yourself.
What do you know about UPS Airlines' fleet today?
How does Worldport work?
Tell me about a time you disagreed with a captain.

The simulator assessment

Device	No selection simulator reported in 2025-26 gouge; training uses UPS 767/757, 747 and A300 full-flight simulators
Where	UPS flight training centre, Louisville (SDF); some fleet training in Anchorage reported
Typical profile	Technical skills are probed verbally in the panel (V1 cut, holding, approach brief) rather than in a sim, per recent reports.

Language and after selection

English: FAA ATP requires the English proficiency endorsement; all interviews in English.

Indoctrination and fleet training in Louisville, IOE on the line, then seniority bid for fleet and domicile (Louisville, Anchorage, Miami, Ontario reported). Most pilots commute; much of the domestic flying is at night through Worldport.

Common reasons candidates fail

Applying without an FAA ATP or U.S. work authorisation (an EASA licence and visa need are disqualifying)
Too little turbine PIC or no recent transport-category time compared with competitive applicants
Weak systems knowledge of the aircraft you fly now
Disorganised chart, holding or approach briefings in the technical block
Generic 'why UPS' answers with no knowledge of Worldport, fleet or the cargo lifestyle

Get the complete UPS Airlines Assessment Guide

160 pages: company history and culture, every stage of the selection, model interview answers, technical refresher, Boeing 747-8F · 767F · 757F · A300F systems and a simulator chapter for preparation where a sim stage applies (no simulator stage is consistently reported in UPS Airlines 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: 160
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 UPS Airlines headquartered?

Louisville, Kentucky

What is the name of UPS's main air hub?

Worldport, at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF)

In which year did UPS Airlines begin flying under its own certificate?

1988

Who is the president of UPS Airlines (2026)?

Bill Moore

Who is the CEO of UPS?

Carol Tomé (since June 2020)

Which union represents UPS pilots?

The Independent Pilots Association (IPA), about 3,500 pilots; president Bob Travis

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://pilotsglobal.com/job/AC-on-Seniority-first-officer-ups_airlines-US-ce35ebbc25
https://pilotsglobal.com/job/A300-first-officer-ups_airlines-US-783bd49ac6
https://www.flightdeckfriend.com/job/ups-non-type-rated-first-officers/
https://www.jobs-ups.com/us/en/ups-flightpath-i
https://www.aviationinterviews.com/pilotgougedisplay/united-parcel-service-62.html

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