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Vueling pilot assessment

Updated October 2026 · SET STANDARD

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Vueling hires non-type-rated A320 first officers for Barcelona under the IV pilot agreement (2025-2028), while its MAPS cadet scheme stays closed and the 60-aircraft Boeing 737 MAX transition slips to 2027.

2026 DE FO (A320, Barcelona) round advertised Oct-Nov 2025, listings now closed; cadet MAPS closed (register interest); captains internal only (Oct 2026)

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Vueling is the Barcelona-based low-cost airline of International Airlines Group and the leading carrier at Barcelona-El Prat. It combines a low-cost cost base with a network that also feeds connecting traffic, and it has grown from two Airbus A320s in 2004 into one of Southern Europe's largest short-haul operators, with a strong presence in Italy. For a candidate, Vueling's story is one of reinvention and integration: a start-up that merged with Clickair, came under IAG control and is now refocusing on Spain and preparing to move from an all-Airbus fleet to the Boeing 737 MAX, with 60 aircraft assigned and the first now due in the first half of 2027.

Key facts

Fleet	137 Airbus A320 family (Sep 2026): 97 A320ceo plus A319, A320neo, A321ceo and A321neo; 8 A320neo transferred to Iberia 2025-26
Orders	60 Boeing 737 MAX (737-8-200 first, then 737-10) from IAG's order; first delivery now H1 2027; up to 90 further IAG options
Bases	Barcelona hub (about 60 aircraft) plus ten Spanish bases (Bilbao the second largest) and Paris-Orly, Florence and Rome-Fiumicino (cut to one aircraft from Feb 2026)
Pilots	About 1,200 pilots covered by the SEPLA agreement (2024 figure); about 4,960 employees in total (2025)
Hiring 2026	Non-type-rated A320 FOs for Barcelona: ATPL (frozen or full), 200 factorised Vueling hours, Spanish (AESA) licence before the OCC
Entry routes	Direct-entry FO (main route); MAPS MPL cadet with FTEJerez (closed); command by internal upgrade only

Entry routes and requirements

Direct Entry First Officer, non-type-rated or type-rated (A320 family)

Licensed pilots with a frozen or full ATPL, from low-hour (200 factorised hours) to A320 type-rated

EASA licence issued by (or transferred to) Spain (AESA) before the start of the Operator Conversion Course (OCC)
ATPL(A) or frozen ATPL (theory credit) with IR and ME; the IV agreement sets ATPL(A) as the entry licence
200 'factorised Vueling hours' minimum (2026 advert); other types are weighted, e.g. Airbus fly-by-wire 0.9, Vueling 1.0
Class 1 medical, unrestricted

Captain

Internal upgrade

Internal upgrade: command is a company appointment ('libre designación') under the IV agreement
External captains hired only if no eligible FOs are available; temporary contracts possible for a new fleet (737 MAX) with notice to the union
Command assessment (interview and simulator) reported
Seniority governed by the Transnational Agreement signed with the IV agreement

Vueling MAPS cadet programme (Mentored Airline Pilot Scheme) with FTEJerez

Ab initio candidates with little or no flying experience

EU nationality (2022 edition)
Secondary education (Bachillerato, A-Levels or equivalent) (2018 launch)
Spanish and English at ICAO 4 / B2 or equivalent (2018 launch)
Class 1 medical obtainable

CAE Vueling Cadet Pilot Programme

Ab initio candidates

Not published in sources reviewed

CESDA Vueling cadet course (historic)

Ab initio candidates (2019 intakes)

Over 21 (2018 announcement)
Technical university degree preferred

The selection process, step by step

Online applicationonline
Apply via the Vueling careers portal; returning applicants use the candidate area. Documents (licence, medical, ELP certificates, logbook) are screened against minimums.
Online psychometric testonline
Online psychometric questionnaire about a week before the in-person days. Predictive Index reported by candidates (2019 and later prep sites); current platform not officially confirmed.
Technical knowledge testin person
Written multiple-choice test of general operational knowledge and A320 systems (reported about 100 questions, timed): performance, procedures, meteorology, human factors, RTO decision-making.
English assessmentin person
English assessment: written (gap-fill style reported) plus listening to ATC/radio audio with varied accents.
Interview (and group / role-play exercise)in person
Competency interview with a Vueling pilot (line, fleet or chief pilot office reported) and HR, plus a role-play or group exercise in several campaigns.
Simulator checkin person
A320 FFS assessment, reported in Barcelona: Barcelona departure, FD ILS, raw-data VOR and ILS approaches, go-around, speed changes with autothrust off. Not officially published.

Aptitude and psychometric tests

technical knowledge (MCQ, ~100 items reported)
English (written + listening)
psychometric (online)
personality

Predictive Index (reported by candidates, unconfirmed for 2026) · Vueling in-house technical MCQ and English test (reported) · Prep vendors (e.g. PilotAptitudeTest) model PI/FAST-style tests; not official

Group exercise

Reported group dynamics/role-play in 2018 press and pilot aggregator; not listed in the 2016, 2017 or 2019 official stage lists.

The interview

Personal (competency/HR); technical content handled by separate knowledge test

motivation for Vueling and the Barcelona base
teamwork and CRM
decision making
adaptability to the 737 MAX transition and network changes
Vueling and IAG knowledge (Rumbo 2035, fleet, results)

Typical questions to prepare

Why Vueling?
What do you know about Vueling today?
Why not Ryanair, Volotea or Iberia Express?
The 2026 positions are based in Barcelona. How will you manage that?
What will the 737 MAX transition mean for pilots?
Tell us about a mistake you made in flight or training.

The simulator assessment

Device	Airbus A320 FFS
Where	Barcelona (CAE Barcelona centre has long hosted Vueling's A320 FFS; venue reported, not official)
Typical profile	Reported: BCN departure, FD ILS, raw-data VOR and ILS, go-around, manual thrust speed changes

Language and after selection

English ICAO Level 4 minimum before the OCC; Spanish ICAO 4 required for non-Spanish nationals (reported; listed as a plus in 2019). Interviews may be in English and/or Spanish.

Operator Conversion Course (A320 type rating where not held) at Vueling's Barcelona training set-up, then line training; 2026 FOs based in Barcelona. Paid level 6 during training; six-month probation.

Common reasons candidates fail

Missing the Spanish (AESA) licence or factorised-hours requirement in time
Weak A320 systems or ATPL performance knowledge in the written test
English listening difficulties with real ATC audio and accents
Rusty raw-data flying and manual thrust control in the sim
Dominating the paired candidate or being a passive PM

Get the complete Vueling Assessment Guide

187 pages: company history and culture, every stage of the selection, model interview answers, technical refresher, Airbus A320 family systems and simulator assessment preparation. Updated for 2026.

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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: 187
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 did Vueling start flying?

1 July 2004, Barcelona-Ibiza

Who founded Vueling?

Carlos Muñoz and Lázaro Ros

Which airline merged into Vueling in 2009?

Clickair (Iberia-backed)

Which group owns Vueling?

International Airlines Group (IAG)

Who is Vueling's chair and CEO?

Carolina Martinoli (since 2024)

What are Vueling's IATA and ICAO codes?

VY and VLG

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://afm.aero/spanish-airline-launches-2026-first-officer-hiring-for-a320-fleet
https://aviationcv.com/job/first-officer-a320-vueling-61157
https://pilotsglobal.com/job/A320-family-first-officer-vueling-ES-50V6s0ueuj
https://www.qualitytravel.it/vueling-apre-selezioni-per-lassunzione-di-piu-di-100-piloti/70198
https://www.hosteltur.com/115551_vueling-contratara-pilotos-verano.html

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