Swiss · First Officer / Copilote

A320 First Officer (Direct Entry) - Zurich base

Swiss is looking for an already type-rated A320 First Officer to join its cockpit crew based in Zurich. The role involves operating the airline's aircraft and supporting the Captain on all flights.

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Employer: Swiss
Position: First Officer / Copilote
Base: Zürich-Airport, Suisse
Aircraft: A320
Contract: 100%
Pay (public sources): First officer: about CHF 89,000 a year at entry; captain: up to about CHF 220,000 a year at the top of the scale (2025)
Posted: 18 September 2026

Key points

Based at Zurich Airport
Full-time (100%) position
Current A320 type rating required
Minimum 800 hours on the A320 family
Prospect of moving to long-haul mentioned

What the employer asks for

ATPL(A), CPL(A)/IR with ATPL(A) theory or MPL licence (EASA Part-FCL)
Advanced UPRT Training per EASA.FCL.745
Valid A320 type rating
Multi-engine IR rating with PBN
Minimum 800 hours of flight experience on the A320 family
Class 1 medical certificate
Fully documented flying record (logbook extract, licence, etc.)
Swiss nationality or EU-27/EFTA passport
Very good German (at least C1 if not a native/everyday language) and good English (ICAO level 4 minimum)
Clean record
Willingness to be vaccinated with vaccines approved in Switzerland (including COVID-19, yellow fever, etc.)
Height between 160 and 198 cm
Maximum age of 56 based on the collective labour agreement

What the employer offers

Financial joining bonuses
Development opportunities
Prospect of moving to long-haul

Summary written by ForAllPilots from the employer's posting. Only the official posting counts: check every condition before you apply.

Swiss flag carrier

Swiss at a glance

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.

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

Pilot recruitment

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.

The full Swiss guide →

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)

Compare pilot pay at other airlines →

The Swiss 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

First stage: DLR basic aptitude test (BU), one day for already-trained pilots, two days for cadets; sessions possible in Hamburg, Zurich or Milan, in German or English.
Depending on the airline, the basic assessment may also be the Interpersonal BQ test or the Swiss psychometric test; candidates contradict each other on whether the two are equivalent.
Second stage: company qualification (FQ) with psychomotor tests, group exercises and an interview, often run by Interpersonal.
For type-rated pilots, a simulator check and an assessment centre with a group exercise and individual interview; all three stages are mandatory.
Medical; failing one phase can close access to the group's other airlines for a period.
DLR day in Hamburg described in 2023-2025 (Luxair and EFA candidates): from 8:00 to 16:15-16:30, touchscreens, one-hour lunch break; CBT practice software sent about 20 days beforehand; fee payable for the EFA (€370 in 2023).
EFA, second stage (2023): group exercise on tablets in which each person holds part of the information, a new personality questionnaire, an individual interview of about 1 h (motivation, personality outside work, a question on environmental impact), then a multitasking psychomotor test; in German in Zurich or in English in Hamburg.

The aptitude tests

DLR: arithmetic and mathematics, physics, English, memory, concentration, spatial orientation, multitasking.
Psychomotor and vigilance tests in the second phase.
Interpersonal BQ: reasoning with figures and matrices, cubes, calculation problems.
Order of a 2023 DLR day: spatial orientation (PPT), triangle sequences (SKT), 30 very simple ATPL questions, orally dictated mental arithmetic, auditory memory, personality, dial perception speed, visual memory, cube rotation, English and psychomotor; the composition varies between CBT versions (ENS, PPT, ROT, SKT, OWT, RMS, KRN, MEK, TVT, VMC...).
Second-stage psychomotor test (EFA 2023): altimeter, compass, speed, scrolling symbols to spot using a pedal, and a clock to monitor every 10 minutes.

The technical part

Secondary-school-level physics and mathematics in the BU.
For type-rated pilots, instrument flying and CRM in the simulator rather than type-specific questions.

Candidates' tips

Free practice materials are enough for some candidates; others use SkyTest books and software.
Choose the test language carefully, as the test was historically in German.
Do not turn up unprepared: the rules on retaking within the group are strict.
Start 2 to 3 months beforehand, then gradually lengthen sessions up to 6-hour simulations for endurance.
According to several candidates, you need to be at least average across the board: a single test below average is enough to eliminate you, and there is no second chance on some cadet programmes.

Our exercises to prepare

Sources read (11)

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.

Practise the aptitude tests →Over twenty exercises (multitasking, mental arithmetic, cubes, orientation, CUT E, COMPASS and DLR series), scored and tracked over time. (FR)Revise the ATPL theory →The question bank by subject, mock exams and the AI Instructor to prepare the technical test.Prepare the interview with Selection Coaching →A written mock selection interview with an AI panel (beta), technical and HR. It does not guarantee the result of a real selection.The Swiss guide: recruitment, fleet, bases →What to know about the airline before you apply.

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