Swiss pilot recruitment

LX / SWR

The Swiss flag carrier, a subsidiary of the Lufthansa group and a Star Alliance member, connecting Switzerland with the rest of the world from its hubs in Zurich and Geneva.

Swiss fleet, hub and head office

116

Aircraft in the fleet

2002

Founded

Head office

Kloten (Zurich), Switzerland

Main hub

Zurich (main), Geneva

Fleet (aircraft types operated)

Airbus A220, A320/A321 (including A320neo/A321neo), A330, A340, A350; Boeing 777; fleet supplemented by wet-leased aircraft (notably Helvetic Airways Embraers)

Pilot recruitment at Swiss

Airbus (from the A220 to the A350) and Boeing 777 fleet. Subsidiary of the Lufthansa group, which has Lufthansa Aviation Training Switzerland in the country. Recruits pilots depending on the period: check the profiles sought and any training pathways on the SWISS careers site.

Fleet: 116 aircraft as of 31 December 2025 (Edelweiss included), according to Lufthansa Group, annual report 2025 (fleet). 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 Swiss

Swiss was born from the bankruptcy of Swissair: its regional subsidiary Crossair was recapitalised to take over most of the international operations, and the new national airline began flying on 31 March 2002. Lufthansa launched its takeover in 2005, and Swiss joined Star Alliance on 1 April 2006. The Swiss group also includes the airline Edelweiss Air.

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: about CHF 89,000 gross a year at entry, according to Swiss daily Blick (November 2025).
Captain: up to about CHF 220,000 gross a year for the most senior captains (November 2025).
2023 agreement scale: 20 Minuten reported about CHF 8,215 per month for a narrowbody first officer from year 6, about CHF 13,566 for a narrowbody captain and over CHF 16,000 for a widebody captain from year 19 (October 2022).
Collective agreement: Aeropers members at Swiss voted 85% to terminate the 2023 agreement, which remains in force until the end of 2026; pilots want more say over rosters and more guaranteed days off (November 2025).
Hiring: Swiss is struggling to find pilots (6 of 32 advertised positions filled) and has had to cancel flights; it now offers direct entry onto long-haul (November 2025).
Direct-entry first officer: valid Airbus type rating, multi-engine IR with PBN and the minimum hours on type; at least B2 German and Swiss, EFTA or EU nationality required (October 2026).
Selection: one-day assessment in Opfikon (psychomotor tests, interview, group exercise, psychometric tests, English test), then a simulator check, medical and a board decision (October 2026).

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 Swiss uses them, or which ones: none of the series below is presented as Swiss'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 Swiss or another airline, the ForAllPilots revision bank covers the BIA, the PPL and the ATPL.

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Other airlines

ForAllPilots is an independent site: it is not affiliated with Swiss or any other airline, and publishes no job offers. To apply, go through the airline's careers site.