Empire Airlines pilot assessment: how to prepare

About Empire Airlines

Based in the United States, Empire Airlines is a cargo airline. In timetables it appears as EM; in flight plans as CFS. Empire Airlines operates from Spokane (GEG) and Coeur d'Alene (COE). The fleet includes the ATR 42-320F, ATR 72-212F, ATR 72-600F, Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster and Cessna 408.

Empire Airlines recruits its own pilots. The link to the pilot careers portal is in the profile on this page. The requirements listed on this page cover licence, flying hours, medical certificate and right to work. This page sets out the selection in 5 stages.

Where to train for Empire Airlines

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

California Baptist UniversityRiverside, United StatesRecruitment partnerAccording to the school

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

What does Empire Airlines ask of pilots?

Licence

ATR captain and first officer: ATP with MEL rating (R-ATP currently accepted for first officers); Cessna captains: commercial licence with instrument rating3

Hours

ATR captain: 2,500 TT, 500 PIC, 1,000 MEL, 300 turbine/turboprop; ATR first officer: 1,500 TT, 250 PIC, 50 MEL; C208 and C408 captain: 1,200 TT, 500 PIC3

Medical

First class (ATR captain), second class (ATR first officer and Cessna captains); ability to hold a first class medical for Purple Runway34

Right to work

Purple Runway: eligible to work in the US, US passport and rapid visa issuance4

About Empire Airlines

THE FIVE PHASES

1Employment at a feeder airline

2Programme application

3FedEx hiring process

4Waypoints and experience gates

5Flow to FedEx

FLIGHT SCHOOLS

Where to train for Empire Airlines

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

California Baptist UniversityRiverside, United StatesRecruitment partnerAccording to the school

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

Empire Airlines at a glance

IATA / ICAO: EM / CFS1
Country: United States
Hubs: Spokane (GEG), Coeur d'Alene (COE)1
Fleet: ATR 42-320F, ATR 72-212F, ATR 72-600F, Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster, Cessna 4081

Pilot careers site Official website

SELECTION5 selection stages described below.Empire Airlines practice plan

What does Empire Airlines ask of pilots?

Licence: ATR captain and first officer: ATP with MEL rating (R-ATP currently accepted for first officers); Cessna captains: commercial licence with instrument rating3
Hours: ATR captain: 2,500 TT, 500 PIC, 1,000 MEL, 300 turbine/turboprop; ATR first officer: 1,500 TT, 250 PIC, 50 MEL; C208 and C408 captain: 1,200 TT, 500 PIC3
Medical: First class (ATR captain), second class (ATR first officer and Cessna captains); ability to hold a first class medical for Purple Runway34
Right to work: Purple Runway: eligible to work in the US, US passport and rapid visa issuance4

SOURCES

1Empire Airlines (Wikipedia) · accessed 11 Oct 2026
2Empire Airlines homepage · accessed 11 Oct 2026
3Pilots | Empire Airlines · accessed 11 Oct 2026
4FedEx Purple Runway, Empire Airlines · accessed 11 Oct 2026

YOUR FLIGHT PLANA plan to your selection dateA week-by-week plan to your selection date: a lite test to find your weak spot, focused practice per phase, then a full mock.Make my flight plan

PILOT PASS

€5.75a month · €69 a year

See the Pass

About Empire Airlines

The five phases

Where to train for Empire Airlines

Empire Airlines at a glance

What does Empire Airlines ask of pilots?

Empire Airlines pilot selection

About Empire Airlines

Where to train for Empire Airlines

Empire Airlines at a glance

What does Empire Airlines ask of pilots?