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Application via an approved training partner
Ryanair offers the Future Flyer Academy, part-sponsored flight training programmes with its approved partner schools, and cadets receive a conditional job offer upon enrolment and a guaranteed final assessment.
About Ryanair
Based in Ireland, Ryanair is a low-cost airline. Its airline codes are FR (IATA) and RYR (ICAO). Its hubs are Dublin (DUB) and London Stansted (STN). Its fleet includes the Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737 MAX 8-200. Linked to Ryanair on this site: Buzz, Lauda Europe, Malta Air, Ryanair UK and 1 more.
Ryanair runs a cadet route for future pilots: the Ryanair Future Flyer Academy. Ryanair also recruits licensed pilots as direct-entry first officers and captains. The careers portal for pilots is linked in the profile on this page. PilotinQ currently lists 5 open pilot positions at Ryanair. This page sets out the selection in 4 stages.
The four phases
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Flight school psychometric and aptitude testing (online)Practise this phase
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One-day assessment at a partner schoolPractise this phase
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Final Ryanair cadet assessment after flight trainingPractise this phase
Where to train for Ryanair
4 flight schools have a published link with this airline. Each entry says what the link is and who states it.
ASTONFLYFrance · Ryanair Future Flyer AcademyCadet programme partnerAccording to the school
Atlantic Flight Training AcademyIreland · Ryanair Future Flyer AcademyCadet programme partnerAccording to the school
Aviomar Flight AcademyRoma, Italy · Ryanair Future Flyer AcademyCadet programme partnerAccording to the school- Skyborne Airline AcademyUnited Kingdom · Ryanair Future Flyer AcademyCadet programme partnerAccording to the school
Ryanair at a glance
- IATA / ICAO
- FR / RYR3
- Country
- Ireland
- Hubs
- Dublin (DUB), London Stansted (STN)3
- Fleet
- Boeing 737-800, Boeing 737 MAX 8-2003
- Cadet programme
- Ryanair Future Flyer Academy (rolling as of 28 Oct 2026)1
- Direct entry
- First officers, Captains6
GROUP AIRLINES, ACADEMIES AND PROGRAMMESBuzz · selection guideLauda Europe · selection guideMalta Air · selection guideRyanair UK · selection guideRyanair Future Flyer Academy · selection guide
SALARYCaptain (direct entry): up to £155,500/€165,000 per annum in year 1 (earnings potential stated by Ryanair on its careers site, 2026-10)Senior Captain: over €200,000 p.a. (historical figure, 2019-08)Captain: €62,500 a year (historical figure, 2015-11)Ryanair pilot salary
PILOT DISCUSSIONS
From the pilot community
What pilots discussed, with the year it came up.
How do annual crew hour limits affect Ryanair's Newcastle winter schedule?
Read moreShow less
When winter 2025/26 was being planned at Newcastle, community members noted that Ryanair would not operate based flights on Tuesdays and had gaps on some Wednesday and Thursday slots. One explanation offered was maintenance, but another community member said this pattern is common for managing annual crew hours, which can be maxed out over the summer season. The view was that weaker demand days are used to keep crews within limits rather than simply adding flying.
What is Ryanair's employer profile?
Ryanair offers the Future Flyer Academy, part-sponsored flight training programmes with its approved partner schools, and cadets receive a conditional job offer on enrolment. Ryanair lists six approved training partners: Airline Flight Academy (Dublin), AFTA (Cork), Astonfly (Paris), Aviomar (Rome and Parma), Bartolini Air (Lodz) and Skyborne (Cheltenham and Bournemouth); applications go through these schools. For the cadet route, the partner school runs online psychometric and aptitude tests, followed by a one-day assessment with mathematics, physics, an English test for non-native speakers, group exercises and an individual interview.1
What are the roster and workload like?
Ryanair states that pilots have a fixed roster of 5 days on, followed by 4 days off.1
How is the type rating paid for?
The Boeing 737 type rating is part of the programme and is subject to a training costs agreement. Bartolini Air describes no upfront type-rating payment and no salary deductions, with a 4-year bond on the EU scheme and a 5-year bond on the UK scheme.12
- 1Become a Pilot: Ryanair Future Flyer Academy · Ryanair Careers
- 2Ryanair Future Flyer Academy · Bartolini Air
- 3Ryanair | Wikipedia · accessed 11 Oct 2026
- 4Ryanair Careers: Pilots · accessed 10 Oct 2026
- 5Ryanair Careers: Cadets · accessed 10 Oct 2026
- 6Direct Entry Pilots | Ryanair Careers · accessed 11 Oct 2026
- 7Ryanair homepage · accessed 11 Oct 2026
- 8Ryanair | Skyborne Airline Academy UK · accessed 25 Oct 2026
