What does Virgin Atlantic say about pilot pay?

Virgin Atlantic's pilot careers page, as read in October 2026, promises a market-competitive salary and paid annual leave, but gives no amounts for first officers, senior first officers or captains. The airline has a pay and lifestyle agreement for pilots, which it says was agreed, developed and supported by BALPA's pilot representatives; in August 2023 that agreement was due to run until the end of 2023, and the airline offered formal pay and lifestyle negotiations well before it expired. Its pilot placement programme page, archived in October 2025, now refers to a CLA (Collective Labour agreement) 2024. The 2025 job advert for Airbus first officers and senior first officers, with a closing date of 31-12-2025, lists the salary only as competitive plus excellent benefits. On its pilot placement programme page, archived in October 2025, Virgin Atlantic says pilot pay is incremented yearly and that full details are given at offer stage.13910

What is in the package besides salary?

Pilots contribute 6% to the pension plan and Virgin Atlantic adds a 15% employer contribution. The careers page also lists Loss of Licence cover, private medical insurance, staff travel, an electric car salary sacrifice scheme and four flexible contract options for UK-based pilots. Virgin Atlantic aims to cover the cost of a Skilled Worker visa for pilots without the right to work in the UK. The 2025 Airbus job advert adds ten confirmed days off every 12 months on top of 35 days of annual leave, nine duty preferences, and extra working and disruption pay for pilots who volunteer for overtime; it describes the pension as up to 15% company contribution.19

What does the 2024 collective labour agreement cover?

Virgin Atlantic's pilot placement programme page, archived in October 2025, refers to the CLA (Collective Labour agreement) 2024. New pilots join on a full time base contract in line with the CLA 2024, with the option to pick up extra working, and rank depends on experience: 1500 hours for first officer and 3000+ hours for senior first officer. The page does not give pay amounts. On a base contract, pilots have a minimum of 10 days off a month, trips average 3-5 days with 2 or 3 days off at home base, and rosters follow the rostering practices in the CLA 2024. All pilots have 35 days annual leave per year; for placement pilots this rises by 1 day a year to 38 days in the third year.10

Who can join, and how long until command?

Virgin Atlantic recruits experienced pilots as first officers with at least 1,500 hours or senior first officers with 3000 hours, including at least 500 hours on a listed Airbus or Boeing type. There are no direct entry captain roles, and the airline says it supports progression to command within 8 to 10 years, based on operational requirements. In October 2026 it was recruiting only for its London Heathrow base, and the contract is permanent unless stated otherwise, with a six month probation period.12

What do rosters look like?

Rosters follow UK CAA rules and union agreements, and because the airline is long haul only, trips keep pilots away for at least 1 night and sometimes 2 to 3 nights. GB News reported in August 2023 that a Virgin Atlantic pilot is rostered for 750 hours a year on average, against a 900 hour annual limit. In August 2023, 96% of BALPA members at the airline backed a formal strike ballot over fatigue and pandemic era rostering, on a turnout of 81%.234

What happened in earlier pay rounds?

In 2011, during the first pilot strike threat in the airline's history, Virgin Atlantic offered a 4% increase and BALPA wanted more. Pilots then accepted a deal that BALPA said brought some improvement on pay and a profit share scheme. In May 2020, BALPA said 426 pilots were at risk as Virgin Atlantic proposed over 3000 job losses. In September 2010, Travel Weekly reported that pilots withdrew a strike threat once a dispute over days off was resolved, with a minimum of 120 rostered days off a year; BALPA said it was never a matter of money but one of lifestyle.67812

What is the easyJet placement programme?

In August 2024 easyJet announced that, from November 2024, 20 easyJet pilots would swap A320 flying for the right-hand seat on Virgin Atlantic's Airbus A350 fleet for around three years, returning to easyJet at the end of the placement. The airlines said the placement would give those pilots over 1500 flying hours, and that easyJet's basing network would let Virgin Atlantic attract pilots from across Europe. Applications are first verified by easyJet, and pilots on the programme can claim £45 a day towards travel to and from CAE in Crawley during ground school; uniforms are free of charge.1011

Is there a funded cadet route?

Virgin Atlantic's Future Flyers cadet scheme is paused while the programme is redeveloped, according to the airline's pilot FAQ in October 2026. When the scheme launched in 2014, the six chosen candidates had to pay a £109,000 bond to the training provider CTC, to be repaid to them when they started work.25