Transavia Netherlands pilot recruitment

HV / TRA

Dutch low-cost airline within the Air France-KLM group, a 100% subsidiary of KLM and based at Schiphol. Not to be confused with its sister company Transavia France, based at Orly.

Transavia Netherlands fleet, hub and head office

1966

Founded

Head office

Haarlemmermeer (Hoofddorp), Netherlands

Main hub

Amsterdam Schiphol (main base), Rotterdam The Hague, Eindhoven and Brussels

Fleet (aircraft types operated)

Boeing 737-800 (being replaced) and Airbus A321neo, with the A320neo to follow

Pilot recruitment at Transavia Netherlands

The fleet is transitioning from the Boeing 737NG to the Airbus A320neo/A321neo family. Transavia runs its own ab initio course, the 'Airline Pilot Program': about two years, no prior flying experience needed, minimum age 18, good Dutch and English required; the airline quotes an average cost of around €120 000, of which the trainee pays €65 000, with a permanent contract on successful completion (applications were closed in early October 2026, but you can sign up for a job alert). Newly hired first officers are usually based at Schiphol at first, with a later move to Rotterdam or Eindhoven possible; selection takes place at EPST in Utrecht. For the Brussels base (Boeing 737NG), a direct-entry captain vacancy required at least 3 500 hours on multi-engine aircraft including 1 000 hours as captain on the 737NG, an EASA ATPL, a valid 737NG type rating, ICAO English level 5 and an EU passport. Check current requirements and openings on werkenbijtransavia.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 Transavia Netherlands

Transavia flew its first commercial services in November 1966, initially with DC-6s and then Caravelles, before switching to the Boeing 737 in 1976. KLM took control in the 1990s and bought the remaining shares in 2003, bringing the airline into the Air France-KLM group. Charter and low-cost operations were combined under the transavia.com brand in 2005 (the '.com' was dropped in 2015). The first Airbus A321neo was delivered in December 2023, part of a group order for 100 A320neo family aircraft.

Pay and conditions, from public sources

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

Starting pay: Transavia states €5,570.46 gross per month at step 1 of the cockpit collective agreement, excluding allowances; for the first two months only a training allowance of €1,819.53 gross per month is paid (page consulted October 2026).
Extras: 8% holiday pay, a 5.57% year-end bonus and variable profit sharing of up to 12% depending on Transavia's results; a pension scheme is included (page consulted October 2026).
Negotiated raises: the Transavia Vliegers agreement provided +2.5% on 1 August 2023, +2.5% on 1 November 2023, +3.5% on 1 January 2024 and +1.5% on 1 May 2024 (2024).
2026 talks: for a 30-month agreement (March 2026 to August 2028), Transavia offered a 2.5% raise in June 2026, the same for pilots, cabin and ground staff, in exchange for productivity gains (June 2026).
MPL training: the Airline Pilot Program lasts about 22 months on the Airbus A320neo and costs €65,000 excluding accommodation and food, with no pay during training; a commitment of at least 4 years at Transavia is required (page consulted October 2026).
Selection: online pre-selection, interview, grading and a group exercise, plus a full medical; a €400 fee is paid to partner EPST and results remain valid for one year (page consulted October 2026).
Base: pilots must be able to reach their home base within one hour (page consulted 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 Transavia Netherlands uses them, or which ones: none of the series below is presented as Transavia Netherlands'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 Transavia Netherlands 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 Transavia Netherlands or any other airline, and publishes no job offers. To apply, go through the airline's careers site.