British Airways Speedbird Pilot Academy

IN SHORT

The Speedbird Pilot Academy selection runs from registration on the Discover & Prep hub through online assessments and a verbal speaking activity, in-depth psychometric testing, a half-day group exercise and multitasking assessment at Waterside with an online interview by the flight school, to a full assessment day at Waterside.

CADET PROGRAMME

Speedbird Pilot Academy: British Airways' funded cadet programme

The British Airways Speedbird Pilot Academy is a fully-funded cadet programme; applications for the 2026 intake have closed.352

Applications for 2026 have now closed. The application window opened on 14 April 2026 and closed on 23 April 2026. According to BA's general pilot FAQs, the airline opens applications once per year and encourages candidates to sign up to job alerts.2

Training cost to you: Fully-funded3
Course length: 18 to 24 months3
Places and funding 2026: Up to 160 places backed by £18m5
Age to apply (2026 intake): 17 to 58 to apply; 18 by 1 January 20272
Application window 2026: 14 April 2026 to 23 April 20265
Flight schools: FTEJerez and Skyborne2
Academic requirements: Six GCSEs grade A to C or 4 to 9, including Maths, English Language and a Science, or equivalent2

What is the Speedbird Pilot Academy?

The Speedbird Pilot Academy provides fully-funded flight training for a select number of candidates. For the 2026 intake, British Airways said it was investing £18m to fund up to 160 places on the programme. The airline covers the £100,000 training cost for those who secure a spot. Integrated flight training courses are full-time and take 18 to 24 months to complete. Successful applicants are offered a place at one of BA's approved training partners (FTEJerez or Skyborne). On passing the course, you get the opportunity to join British Airways as a pilot. According to BA's general pilot FAQs, British Airways pilots are based at London Heathrow and BA Euroflyer pilots at London Gatwick.35614

Key requirements listed by British Airways

For the 2026 intake, applicants had to be 17 to 58 years of age to apply and 18 years of age by the 1st January 2027. You need six GCSEs grade A to C or 4 to 9, including Maths, English Language and a Science or equivalent qualifications. You must hold a valid passport which permits unrestricted worldwide travel. Your height must be between 1.57m (5'2") and 1.90m (6'3"), and if your height is outside of this range, you may be required to undergo a functionality check. You must be able to obtain and hold a UK CAA Class 1 medical with no restrictions and meet British Airways medical criteria. British Airways lists further requirements on its preparation page.2

What does the training cost and what is funded?

British Airways funds the cost of initial training for successful candidates. The funding covers the £100,000 cost of pilot training over two years. Benefits on offer include training to obtain a frozen Airline Transport Pilot Licence, accommodation, and a subsistence allowance. The airline also provides food at FTEJerez or a food allowance at Skyborne. You receive financial support to obtain your Class 1 medical and relevant Class 2.152

What does the flight training involve?

Training starts with Ground School for 6 to 8 months, where you complete 13 pilot exams. Basic Flight Training takes 6 months. Advanced Flight Training lasts 4 to 6 months. Upset Recovery Training involves 3 flights. The APS MCC phase takes 3 to 4 weeks. At the application stage you will be asked to give a preference of what flight school you would like to attend, with options being FTEJerez and Skyborne.2

How does the selection process work?

British Airways asks candidates to register an account on the Discover & Prep hub before applying. Stage 1 involves a series of online assessments followed by a verbal speaking activity. Stage 2 involves more in-depth psychometric testing, and those that pass are invited to the Waterside head office for a half-day group exercise and multitasking assessment, alongside an online interview with the flight school. Stage 3 is a full assessment day at Waterside focusing on you as an individual, plus a tour of the British Airways Heritage Centre. According to BA's general pilot FAQs, the airline runs assessment days every month. According to BA's general pilot FAQs, if you stumble at the initial online application screening stage, you are eligible to apply again after 6 months; if you attended Waterside for any subsequent selection stages, the wait is 12 months from the date of testing, or six months from any other stage of application, whichever is greater.24

Are there self-sponsored pathways?

British Airways also offers separate, self-funded routes. The Post Instrument Rating pathway is for qualified pilots, who if successful are placed into the hold pool, where a conditional offer may be made. The With ATO pathway is a self-funded recruitment programme for trainee pilots studying at Skyborne, Aeros, Leading Edge Aviation and FTEJerez. Trainees who meet the eligibility requirements receive conditional job offers before they start training at the ATO, or before they graduate. To qualify, they must complete their ATPL exams achieving an average score of 85 percent with no more than three resits, and a first series pass at their CPL & MEIR. On successful completion of training, they join as a First Officer on board the A320 short-haul fleet at Gatwick or Heathrow.3

About British Airways

British Airways is a full-service airline based in the United Kingdom. Its airline codes are BA (IATA) and BAW (ICAO). Its hubs are London Heathrow (LHR) and London Gatwick (LGW). Its fleet includes the Airbus A319, Airbus A320, Airbus A320neo, Airbus A321neo, Airbus A350-1000 and 6 other types. Linked to British Airways on this site: BA CityFlyer, BA Euroflyer, British Airways Newly Qualified Pilot Pathway and British Airways Speedbird Pilot Academy.

Its cadet route is the Speedbird Pilot Academy. On 10 October 2026 the programme was listed as closed. Licensed pilots can also join British Airways as direct-entry first officers and captains. The link to the pilot careers portal is in the profile on this page. The requirements section on this page covers age, education, right to work and medical certificate. PilotinQ currently lists 2 open pilot positions at British Airways. This page sets out the selection in 4 stages.

The four phases

1/4

Discover & Prep hub (pre-application)

2/4

Application, online assessments and verbal speaking activityPractise this phase

3/4

In-depth psychometric testing, group exercise and multitasking assessmentPractise this phase

4/4

Full assessment day at Waterside

FLIGHT SCHOOLS

Where to train for British Airways

One flight school has a published link with this airline. Each entry says what the link is and who states it.

Skyborne Airline AcademyUnited Kingdom · British Airways Speedbird Pilot AcademyCadet programme partnerAccording to the school

Airline links show where a school has a published tie with the airline. Each airline runs its own selection.

Selections by programmeThe pilot programmes candidates ask about most, each with its phases, tests and how to prepare.

British Airways at a glance

IATA / ICAO: BA / BAW7
Country: United Kingdom
Hubs: London Heathrow (LHR), London Gatwick (LGW)7
Fleet: Airbus A319, Airbus A320, Airbus A320neo, Airbus A321neo, Airbus A350-1000, Airbus A380, Boeing 777-200ER, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 787-9, Boeing 787-108
Cadet programme: Speedbird Pilot Academy (closed as of 10 Oct 2026)3
Direct entry: First officers, Captains9

GROUP AIRLINES, ACADEMIES AND PROGRAMMESBA CityFlyer · selection guide BA Euroflyer · selection guide British Airways Newly Qualified Pilot Pathway · selection guide British Airways Speedbird Pilot Academy · selection guide

Pilot careers site Cadet programme page Official website

SELECTION4 selection stages described below.British Airways practice plan

SALARYBA Cityflyer first officer (Aspiration to Command role): £70,347 a year (starting salary, 2026-10)BA Cityflyer captain (after the command course): £110,934 a year (salary after the command course, 2026-10)British Airways pilot salary

PILOT JOBS2 open positions, checked daily.All pilot jobs

What does British Airways ask of pilots?

Age: Cadet programme: 17 to 58 to apply and 18 by 1 January 20272
Education: Cadet programme: six GCSEs grade A-C or 4-9, including Maths, English Language and a Science, or equivalent2
Right to work: Cadet programme: right to live and work in the UK without sponsorship; a valid passport permitting unrestricted worldwide travel2
Medical: Cadet programme: able to obtain and hold a UK CAA Class 1 medical with no restrictions; height 1.57 m to 1.90 m (outside this range a functionality check may be required)2
Cost: Cadet programme: fully funded flight training for a select number of candidates3
Duration: Cadet programme: full-time integrated training of 18 to 24 months3

What pilot vacancies does the airline offer?

Pilots who join through the Speedbird Self-Sponsored Pathways start as First Officers on the A320 short-haul fleet at Gatwick or Heathrow.3

When do applications open?

British Airways opens applications for the Speedbird Pilot Academy once a year. The 2026 window ran from 14 April to 23 April 2026. British Airways says more than 25,000 people applied in previous years; for the 2026 intake it is funding up to 160 places.45

What does the selection process involve?

Before applying, you register on the Discover & Prep hub. Stage 1 is a series of online assessments followed by a verbal speaking activity. Stage 2 is more in-depth psychometric testing, and those who pass go to Waterside, the British Airways head office, for a half-day group exercise and multitasking assessment, while the flight school runs an online interview. Stage 3 is a full assessment day at Waterside that focuses on you as an individual. For qualifications from outside the UK, British Airways refers to UK ENIC, the UK national agency for international qualifications and skills.24

MORE ABOUT BRITISH AIRWAYSHow much does it cost to become a pilot at British Airways?What are the requirements to become a pilot at British Airways?

SOURCES

1Your flight deck journey starts here: Speedbird Pilot Academy · British Airways · accessed 10 Oct 2026
2Speedbird Pilot Academy Preparation · British Airways · accessed 10 Oct 2026
3Future Pilots · British Airways · accessed 10 Oct 2026
4Pilot FAQs · British Airways · accessed 10 Oct 2026
5British Airways' fully-funded pilot training programme opens for applications for fourth year running · British Airways Media Centre · published 14 Apr 2026 · accessed 10 Oct 2026
6Speedbird Pilot Academy FAQs (April 2026) · British Airways Careers · published 14 Apr 2026 · accessed 24 Oct 2026
7British Airways | Wikipedia · accessed 11 Oct 2026
8British Airways fleet | Wikipedia · accessed 11 Oct 2026
9Pilot Jobs | British Airways Careers · accessed 10 Oct 2026