Cathay Pacific · Cadet / ab initio
Cadet Pilot Programme - Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific offers a sponsored training programme to become an airline pilot, aimed at candidates without prior flying experience. Ground training takes place in Hong Kong and at institutions worldwide, with flying training conducted in the United States or Australia. On successful completion, cadets join Cathay Pacific as a Second Officer.
- Employer
- Cathay Pacific
- Position
- Cadet / ab initio
- Base
- Hong Kong SAR (Chine)
- Contract
- Programme de formation sponsorisée (cadet)
- Pay (public sources)
- First Officer: target annual salary of HKD 964,646; Second Officer: HKD 629,109 (January 2026); captain scale not published
- Seen
- 8 October 2026
Key points
- Programme lasts approximately 80 weeks
- Ground training in Hong Kong and at leading institutions worldwide
- Flying training conducted in the United States or Australia
- Applications open year-round
- Leads to a Second Officer role at Cathay Pacific
What the employer asks for
- Right to live and work in Hong Kong or Mainland China (IANG/TTPS eligible candidates also welcome)
- Secondary school graduation with good passes in English and Mathematics or Science (university or aviation degree an advantage)
- Valid English proficiency certificate (IELTS, TOEIC or TOEFL iBT at stated thresholds)
- Physically fit and qualified for a HKCAD Class 1 Medical Certificate
- Able to meet flight deck reach requirements, including a static reach test and simulator reach assessment
- ICAO English Language Proficiency level 4 or above
- Successful pre-employment background check, including criminal records
- Minimum age of 18
- Pre-employment drug test required for this safety-sensitive role
What the employer offers
- Comprehensive ground school theory training
- Support from experienced instructors
- Flying practice on single and twin-engined light aircraft
- Jet simulator training covering airline procedures and multi-crew flying
Summary written by ForAllPilots from the employer's posting. Only the official posting counts: check every condition before you apply.
Legacy long-haul airline
Cathay Pacific at a glance
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).
- Bases
- Hong Kong (Chek Lap Kok)
- Fleet
- Airbus A321neo, A330, A350; Boeing 777; Boeing 747-400ERF and 747-8F freighters
Pilot recruitment
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.
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).
The Cathay Pacific selection, as candidates tell it
What candidates report on forums (Aeronet, Pilot Jobs Network) and what the employer publishes, summarised by ForAllPilots. It is not the official process: it changes from one campaign to the next, always check the posting.
Reliability of the reports : medium
The stages
- Cadets: application, ICAO English test, computer-based tests, interviews, group exercise, medical; first stages online, final stages in Hong Kong (12 to 18 weeks in total).
- Second and first officers: initial online interview, simulator and panel interview in Hong Kong, ICAO English test, medical.
- According to candidates, the HR interview and the technical interview take place on two separate days.
The aptitude tests
- Online Aon (formerly cut-e) tests for cadets; the free practice exercises cover most of the tests, except the numerical part according to one candidate.
- Personality questionnaire; reach test, static and in the simulator.
The technical part
- High-speed flight, meteorology, icing, engines and performance.
- First officer scenarios facing a captain who wants to exceed an aircraft limitation.
Candidates' tips
- In the simulator, show your progression and your capacity for self-critique rather than perfection.
- Prepare the simulator profile sent a few weeks beforehand.
Our exercises to prepare
Sources read (4)
- careers.cathaypacific.com/en/faqs/hong-kong/pilot/cadet/what-is-the-interview-process-like
- careers.cathaypacific.com/en/faqs/hong-kong/pilot/firstsecond-officer
- www.pprune.org/south-asia-far-east-wannabes/657958-cathay-pacific-second-officer-direct-entry-2.html
- www.pprune.org/south-asia-far-east-wannabes/378978-cathay-pacific-cadet-pilot-programme-391.html
Give yourself every chance
A cadet selection mostly assesses your potential: aptitude tests (attention, mental arithmetic, spatial orientation, memory), English, then a motivation interview and often a group exercise.
Practise the aptitude tests regularly, in short sessions, and track your scores: progress is what counts, not a cramming week.
Revise the theory basics (meteorology, navigation, principles of flight): many selections touch on them, and you will need them from day one of training.