Edelweiss · Captain / Commandant de bord

A350 Commander - Zurich base (freelance)

Edelweiss is looking for a freelance A350 Commander based in Zürich/Kloten. The role covers full responsibility for safe and efficient flight operations, including leading the crew through preparation and execution of each flight.

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Employer: Edelweiss
Position: Captain / Commandant de bord
Base: Zürich/Kloten, Suisse
Aircraft: Airbus A350
Contract: Freelance
Pay (public sources): Pay scale not published; new collective agreement in force since late 2024 and a 26% employer-paid pension contribution (2024)
Posted: 7 October 2026

Key points

Base in Zürich/Kloten
Aircraft: Airbus A350
Freelance contract
Long-haul operational experience required
Minimum 1500 hours as Commander on Airbus A3XX

What the employer asks for

EASA ATPL licence with A350 type rating
Minimum 5000 total flight hours, including long-haul experience
Minimum 1500 hours as Commander on Airbus A3XX
Valid Class 1 medical certificate
Very good German (minimum C1) and English (B2 / ICAO Level 4) language skills
Swiss citizen or citizen of an EU-27/EFTA country
Strong leadership and teamwork skills

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

Leisure airline

Edelweiss at a glance

Swiss leisure airline and sister company of Swiss within the Lufthansa Group, flying from Zurich to holiday destinations in Europe and on long-haul routes.

Bases: Zurich
Fleet: Airbus A320 and A320neo, Airbus A340-300 and A350-900

Pilot recruitment

Short- and long-haul Airbus fleet operated under a 'Mixed-Fleet Flying' model, so pilots can fly more than one aircraft type, with a single base in Zurich. Edelweiss offers airline pilot training backed by a CHF 80 000 loan per trainee, repaid through salary deductions once employed; according to the airline, Swiss nationals start with no personal contribution, while EU/EFTA citizens pay CHF 24 000 at the start of training (because public subsidies are lower). Check admission requirements (age, language, education) and current openings on Edelweiss's careers page.

The full Edelweiss 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.

Collective agreement: Aeropers approved a new agreement covering Edelweiss's 344 pilots, effective 31 December 2024; pay terms backdated to 1 July 2024 and new working-time rules since 1 January 2025 (December 2024).
During talks, Edelweiss offered a 15% rise in the cockpit wage bill over four and a half years, higher profit-sharing and more predictable rosters (April 2024).
Pension: according to the airline, pilots receive a 26% pension contribution paid entirely by the employer (April 2024).
Edelweiss paid all pilots an extra 2% from January 2023 outside the agreement, and planned in April 2024 to restore much of the Covid-era pay cuts (April 2024).
Hiring: ab initio training with European Flight Academy or Lufthansa Aviation Training Switzerland, plus a freelance direct-entry A350 captain role; applications only via the be-lufthansa.com/edelweiss portal (October 2026).
Ab initio criteria: apply between ages 18 and 33, height between 160 and 198 cm; Edelweiss uses the same criteria as SWISS (October 2026).

Sources read (4)

Compare pilot pay at other airlines →

The Edelweiss 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 captain selection focuses on leadership, decision-making and crew management: prepare real situations, what you decided and why.

Expect an in-depth technical interview and a simulator session: go over abnormal procedures and the performance of your type.

Some airlines give aptitude tests to captains too: a refresher on the arithmetic and attention exercises never hurts.

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 Edelweiss guide: recruitment, fleet, bases →What to know about the airline before you apply.

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