SAS pilot recruitment

SK / SAS

Scandinavian airline (Denmark, Norway, Sweden) based in Stockholm, with its three hubs at Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm-Arlanda, a member of SkyTeam since 1 September 2024 and 19.9% owned by the Air France-KLM group.

SAS fleet, hub and head office

111

Aircraft in the fleet

1946

Founded

Head office

Stockholm (Solna), Sweden

Main hub

Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm-Arlanda

Fleet (aircraft types operated)

Airbus A319/A320/A320neo/A321LR, A330-300, A350-900; Embraer E195 (SAS Link)

Pilot recruitment at SAS

Recruits qualified pilots (first officers and captains), with permanent employment and a seniority-based system according to its careers page. The group operates under three air operator certificates (SAS, SAS Connect, SAS Link) and five bases across Scandinavia and Europe; check open positions and the recruitment process on the careers site.

Fleet: 111 aircraft (SAS Connect and SAS Link included), according to SAS, “Pilot” careers page, page consulted on 2 October 2026. 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 SAS

Founded in 1946 by bringing together the Danish (DDL), Norwegian (DNL) and Swedish (SILA) airlines, SAS was one of the founding members of Star Alliance in 1997. On 28 August 2024, the Air France-KLM group completed the acquisition of 19.9% of its share capital, and SAS joined SkyTeam on 1 September 2024. In July 2025, Air France-KLM announced its intention to raise its stake to 60.5% (buying out Castlelake and Lind Invest, with the Danish State keeping 26.4%), subject to regulatory approvals, including that of the European Commission, with completion targeted for the second half of 2026.

Pay and conditions, from public sources

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

First officer without type rating and under 1,500 hours: DKK 37,915 to 39,863, NOK 40,852 to 42,952 or SEK 38,621 to 40,610 gross per month (careers page viewed October 2026).
First officer rated on A320 or Embraer 195 with over 1,500 hours: DKK 41,434 to 44,342, NOK 44,653 to 47,782 or SEK 42,219 to 45,175 gross per month; pay and terms are not individually negotiable (October 2026).
Extras: daily allowance based on duty length and destinations, type rating paid by SAS, pension scheme (no details published) and ID travel (October 2026).
Rosters: permanent contract with probation, variable roster for all new hires, at least 11 days off per month, roster published on the 16th of the previous month (October 2026).
Leave: 42 days of annual leave (October 2026).
Bases and fleet: Copenhagen, Stockholm-Arlanda, Oslo and Bergen; A320 or Embraer 195LR, with possible A330/A350 long-haul flying in a mixed-fleet programme (October 2026).
Requirements: EASA ATPL, CPL or MPL (converted to a Scandinavian licence before the course), Class 1 medical, MCC, advanced UPRT, ICAO English level 5 or 6, right to work in the EU (October 2026).
Selection: application, screening (video interview, personality and cognitive tests), online interview, assessment day (group exercise, PF/PM simulator check, interview), then offer or holding pool plus security and drug/alcohol checks (October 2026).

Sources read (3)

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Preparing for psychometric tests before a selection

Some pilot selections include psychometric tests. ForAllPilots does not say whether SAS uses them, or which ones: none of the series below is presented as SAS'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 SAS or another airline, the ForAllPilots revision bank covers the BIA, the PPL and the ATPL.

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Other airlines

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