Etihad Airways · First Officer / Copilote
First Officer A320 - Abu Dhabi base
Etihad Airways is recruiting a First Officer for its A320 fleet based in Abu Dhabi. The pilot supports the Captain in flight preparation, navigation and operation, and may take command if the Captain becomes incapacitated. The role is aimed at pilots already type rated on the A320 with significant multi-crew experience.
- Employer
- Etihad Airways
- Position
- First Officer / Copilote
- Base
- Abu Dhabi
- Aircraft
- A320
- Contract
- Temps plein
- Pay (public sources)
- A320 captain: up to AED 674,029 a year; A320 first officer: up to AED 513,732 a year, tax-free, based on 75 flying hours per month (2025-2026)
- Seen
- 8 October 2026
Key points
- Base in Abu Dhabi
- Aircraft: A320 family
- Full-time position
- Two eligibility routes depending on experience (Criteria A or B)
- Clear pathway to Captain upgrade
What the employer asks for
- Criteria A: minimum 2,000 total flying hours, including 1,500 hours on multi-crew glass cockpit aircraft, and 500 hours on type
- Criteria B: minimum 1,500 total flying hours, including 1,000 hours on any A320 family aircraft
- Flown an A320 family aircraft within the last 12 months
- A320 type rating valid for at least 2 more months at joining
- Unrestricted ATPL or valid frozen ATPL issued by an ICAO member state
- Unrestricted, current Class 1 medical certificate
- Must not have reached age 50 on the day of joining
- Fluent English, written and verbal, ICAO Level 4 or better
What the employer offers
- Annual package of up to AED 513,732 (USD 138,318), tax-free, based on 75 flying hours per month
- Basic salary, flying pay, housing allowance, and layover and meal allowances
- Performance-based annual increments
- Education allowance up to AED 40,000 for primary and AED 55,000 for secondary per child, for up to three children
- Income protection scheme
- 42 days of annual leave
- Staff travel benefits and exclusive Etihad discounts
- End-of-service benefits
- Accidental and life insurance coverage
- Relocation support to Abu Dhabi: shipping container allowance, settling-in support, and family travel benefits
Summary written by ForAllPilots from the employer's posting. Only the official posting counts: check every condition before you apply.
Flag carrier, long-haul
Etihad Airways at a glance
One of the two national airlines of the United Arab Emirates, based in Abu Dhabi, linking its hub with Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania and North America with an Airbus and Boeing fleet.
- Bases
- Abu Dhabi (Zayed International Airport)
- Fleet
- Airbus A320, A321, A321neo, A321LR, A350-1000 and A380; Boeing 777-300ER, 787-9 and 787-10; Boeing 777F freighters (A330-900, Boeing 777-9 and A350F on order)
Pilot recruitment
All pilots are based in Abu Dhabi. Etihad recruits direct-entry first officers and captains (vacancies are posted on its careers portal, rated or non-rated depending on the fleet) and holds recruitment events abroad, including in Europe (Munich, Frankfurt, Athens and Barcelona in 2026). Experience requirements vary by fleet and role: check each posting. The Cadet Pilot Programme is reserved for UAE nationals aged 18 to 29, with two years of training at the Etihad Training Academy (Khalifa City A, Abu Dhabi). For a European pilot, the way in is therefore direct entry with airline experience. Check open positions on Etihad's careers page.
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.
- A320 captain: Etihad's job posting advertises up to AED 674,029 (USD 181,589) a year, based on 75 flying hours per month (2026).
- Trend: a 2025 posting for the same role advertised up to AED 637,304 (USD 171,589) a year, tax-free, on the same 75-hour basis (2025).
- A320 first officer: up to AED 513,732 (USD 138,318) a year, tax-free, based on 75 flying hours per month; this is a ceiling, not a guaranteed salary (November 2025).
- Package: it includes basic salary, flying pay, housing allowance, and layover and meal allowances, plus children's education support and annual leave (page consulted October 2026).
- A320 first officer requirements: either 2,000 hours including 1,500 multi-crew and 500 on type, or 1,500 hours including 1,000 on the A320 family; current A320 type rating, ATPL (frozen accepted), Class 1 medical and under 50 on joining (2025).
- A320 captain requirements: at least 5,500 total hours including 2,500 hours as pilot in command on multi-crew glass-cockpit aircraft (2026).
- Hiring: Etihad is holding pilot recruitment events in Munich, Frankfurt, Athens, Barcelona, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, plus a virtual session, between October and November 2026 (October 2026).
- Cadet programme: open to UAE nationals aged 18 to 29; online assessment, video interview, maths, physics and aptitude tests, then psychometric tests, group exercises and a panel interview, with about two years of training in Abu Dhabi and flight training in Spain (2025).
The Etihad Airways 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
- Recorded video: introduction, one HR question and one technical question.
- Online COMPASS test before travelling.
- About two days at headquarters: written technical test, simulator, group exercise and interview; psychological tests on a tablet for some.
- Medical on the last day; the order of the stages varies between sessions.
The aptitude tests
- COMPASS: memory, task management, aircraft orientation, flight director tracking.
- Older accounts mention a Hogan personality test and an English test.
The technical part
- Written test on systems and procedures, with a greater or lesser type-specific component depending on the candidate.
- LOFT-type simulator session based on competency-based training: weather, ATC, multiple failures, PF and PM roles.
Candidates' tips
- Expect several failures in the simulator and verbalise your decision-making.
- In the group exercise (about 20 minutes on a scenario), take part without dominating.
- Prepare the ‘why Etihad’ question and the technical side of your current aircraft.
Our exercises to prepare
Give yourself every chance
A first officer selection usually combines a technical test (ATPL and aircraft knowledge), aptitude tests, a group exercise, an HR and technical interview, then a simulator check.
Revise the ATPL subjects that come up most in technical interviews: performance, meteorology, systems, procedures. Prepare concrete examples of crew teamwork for the interview.
If the posting mentions aptitude tests, practise the most common families of exercises: mental arithmetic, multitasking, orientation, reasoning.