Cathay Pacific pilot recruitment

CX / CPA

Hong Kong airline and founding member of the oneworld alliance, running a regional and long-haul network from its Chek Lap Kok hub alongside a cargo business (Cathay Cargo).

Cathay Pacific fleet, hub and head office

1946

Founded

Head office

Cathay City, Hong Kong International Airport

Main hub

Hong Kong (Chek Lap Kok)

Fleet (aircraft types operated)

Airbus A321neo, A330, A350; Boeing 777; Boeing 747-400ERF and 747-8F freighters

Pilot recruitment at Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific runs a sponsored Cadet Pilot Programme (about 80 weeks, applications open all year, no flying experience required) leading to a Commercial Pilot Licence and a Second Officer post, with ground training in Hong Kong and abroad and flight training at partner schools. Published requirements: the right to live and work in Hong Kong or the Chinese Mainland, age 18 or over, ICAO English Level 4 or above (plus an IELTS, TOEIC or TOEFL certificate) and a Hong Kong HKCAD Class 1 medical. Direct-entry Second Officer (ICAO ATPL or CPL with MEIR, at least 250 hours) and First Officer routes (at least 1 500 hours including 500 hours as pilot-in-command, plus heavy multi-crew experience) also exist, but the careers page says they are not currently open. The regulatory framework is Hong Kong's, not EASA, so a European licence must be converted. Check current openings and conditions on careers.cathaypacific.com.

Recruitment information is given as a guide only (public sources, subject to change over time): always check the current conditions on the airline's careers site.

History of Cathay Pacific

Founded in Hong Kong in 1946 by American Roy Farrell and Australian Sydney de Kantzow, both former military pilots, the airline came under the control of the Swire group from 1948. It took over Hong Kong Airways in 1959, listed on the stock exchange in 1986 and co-founded oneworld in 1998, the year it moved to the new Chek Lap Kok airport. It bought low-cost carrier HK Express in 2019 and received a Hong Kong government-backed rescue package in 2020 during the Covid-19 crisis.

Pay and conditions, from public sources

Figures published by the airline, pilot unions or the press, each one dated (last update: January 2026). For information only.

First Officer: target annual salary of HKD 964,646, based on achieving the target annual block hours, plus a monthly allowance from HKD 20,000 and 28 days of leave (January 2026).
Second Officer (long-haul relief pilot): target annual salary of HKD 629,109, plus a monthly allowance from HKD 14,000 and 21 days of leave (January 2026).
Benefits: discounted travel, medical cover for the family, children's education allowance, discretionary year-end bonus and profit share, employer pension contribution; typical Hong Kong tax rate of around 17% (January 2026).
Pay rise: Cathay offered pilots a 3.8% basic salary rise for 2024, but the HKAOA union criticised the increase in the minimum monthly flying target from 47.83 to 49 hours on the A330 and A350 (November 2023).
Hiring: direct-entry Second Officer and First Officer roles were listed as not hiring at the time of consultation; the cadet programme accepts applications year-round (page consulted October 2026).
Cadet programme: about 80 weeks of sponsored training to a CPL, with no flying experience required; candidates need the right to work in Hong Kong or mainland China, a Class 1 medical and certified English (2026).
Selection: for cadets, online application, ICAO English test, computer-based tests, interviews, a group exercise and a medical; for licensed pilots, interview, simulator assessment, English test and medical (January 2026).
Direct-entry requirements: at least 250 hours (1,000 preferred) for Second Officer; 1,500 hours including 500 as pilot in command (3,000 preferred) for First Officer (January 2026).
Mainland China: Cathay has taken in 60 mainland cadets since expanding its programme in 2023, from more than 750 applicants (July 2025).

Sources read (4)

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Preparing for psychometric tests before a selection

Some pilot selections include psychometric tests. ForAllPilots does not say whether Cathay Pacific uses them, or which ones: none of the series below is presented as Cathay Pacific's.

To practise anyway, the site offers several series of exercises, included with the ATPL subscription. They are practice exercises, not official tests: ForAllPilots is not affiliated with any airline or any test publisher, and the exact rules or scoring may differ.

Blog guides to practise with

Prepare your theory: BIA, PPL and ATPL questions

Whether you are aiming for Cathay Pacific or another airline, the ForAllPilots revision bank covers the BIA, the PPL and the ATPL.

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