Riyadh Air · Captain / Commandant de bord
Direct Entry Captain A321 - Riyadh
Riyadh Air is hiring a direct entry captain to fly the A321, based in Riyadh. The official posting does not provide further details about the role.
- Employer
- Riyadh Air
- Position
- Captain / Commandant de bord
- Base
- Riyad
- Aircraft
- A321
- Pay (public sources)
- Scale not published by the airline; figures reported by the specialist press: captain about SAR 85,000 to 120,000 per month, first officer about SAR 60,000 to 65,000 (2025)
- Seen
- 8 October 2026
Key points
- Captain position
- A321 aircraft
- Base in Riyadh
- Direct entry recruitment
Summary written by ForAllPilots from the employer's posting. Only the official posting counts: check every condition before you apply.
New national long-haul airline
Riyadh Air at a glance
New Saudi national airline owned by the PIF sovereign wealth fund and based in Riyadh. It has flown between Riyadh and London Heathrow since October 2025, began commercial operations with its own Boeing 787-9s in June 2026 and aims to serve 100 destinations by 2030.
- Bases
- Riyadh (King Khalid)
- Fleet
- Boeing 787-9 in service; Boeing 787-9 and 787-10, Airbus A321neo and A350-1000 on order
Pilot recruitment
The listings on Riyadh Air's pilot recruitment portal are for experienced pilots based in Riyadh, for example First Officer B787 (ICAO ATPL, at least 2 000 hours on multi-crew multi-engine jets, unrestricted Class 1 medical, ICAO English Level 4 or above) or A321 Cadre Check Pilot for the launch of the A321neo fleet (8 000 hours including 3 000 hours of recent command on the A320 family). For young Saudis, the airline has announced employment-linked training routes (the Nawat programme, which includes a cadet pilot stream, and scholarships including a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Science with Embry-Riddle), but no detailed criteria were published in the sources consulted. Check vacancies on the riyadhair.com careers page and beware of fake recruitment sites: the airline says it never asks candidates for fees.
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.
- Captain: according to figures reported by the specialist press and not confirmed by Riyadh Air, about SAR 85,000 to 115,000 per month on narrow-body and SAR 90,000 to 120,000 on wide-body, depending on experience and instructor duties (May 2025).
- First officer: about SAR 60,000 per month on the A321neo and SAR 65,000 on the Boeing 787-9, according to the same unofficial reports (May 2025).
- Flying hours: pay is based on 75 hours per month; extra hours would be paid SAR 400 (narrow-body) or SAR 500 (wide-body) between 75 and 85 hours, then SAR 500 and SAR 600 above that (May 2025).
- Reported benefits: housing in an expatriate area of Riyadh, schooling for up to three children, 20 return tickets a year for family and friends, a one-month Ramadan bonus, a 5% annual raise and profit-sharing (May 2025).
- Entry requirements: first officers with at least 2,000 hours on multi-crew jets, ICAO ATPL, Class 1 medical and ICAO English level 5; captains with 6,000 hours including 2,000 recent wide-body command hours, 150 command hours in the last 12 months, and under 59 (May 2025).
- Active hiring: the airline held its first international pilot recruitment roadshows in London Gatwick and Manchester in April 2026, with further stops announced in Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong and Singapore (March 2026).
- Riyadh Air launched its inaugural flight RX401 from Riyadh to London Heathrow on the Boeing 787-9 (June 2026).
Sources read (3)
The Riyadh Air 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 : low
The stages
- Short video pre-screening of about 15 minutes: motivation, a few ATPL questions, spoken English.
- Video-call interview and questionnaires (personality, CRM).
- Online psychometric test of about two hours run by a contractor.
- Technical panel interview, then 787 simulator in London or Dubai.
The aptitude tests
- Long online psychometric test, content not described in detail; personality and CRM judgement questionnaires.
The technical part
- Questions on your current aircraft and accounts of unusual in-flight events, from former training captains of Gulf airlines.
Candidates' tips
- The video timers are strict: practise answering concisely.
- Prepare ‘tell me about a time when’ stories.
Our exercises to prepare
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.