Middle East Airlines (MEA) has opened applications for its Cadet Pilot Training Program, inviting "young, motivated, hardworking, determined and creative Lebanese Nationals" to train as first officers. According to the airline's careers page, candidates can apply online from 21 September 2026 until 30 October 2026, and applications received after that date will not be accepted1. The online form itself is hosted by FTEJerez, the Spanish flight training organisation that has trained MEA cadets for two decades, whose selection page gives the application period as 21 September to 31 October 20262. MEA says cadets train towards the EASA Airline Transport Pilot Licence; its syllabus shows the ab initio phase runs up to a commercial licence with instrument and multi-engine ratings, a frozen ATPL and multi-crew and jet orientation courses1.

Who can apply

The programme is open only to Lebanese nationals with a recent and clean judicial record who are medically fit1. For this intake, MEA requires applicants to be born between 21 September 1998 and 30 October 2008, both dates inclusive1. Candidates need the Lebanese Baccalaureate or an official equivalent and must also hold either a university degree in any subject or a CPL/IR/ME licence; students in their final university year who expect to graduate before 30 June 2027 may apply, but will not start training until they have their degree1. The airline also sets a minimum height of 170 cm for men and 168 cm for women and expects candidates to be non-smokers1. Applicants must speak, read and write both English and Arabic1. MEA also states that applicants must not have applied to the programme more than once before, adding: "Only one repeat is allowed"1.

A selection process in several stages

After applying online, candidates must pay a non-refundable examination fee of US$500 by 6 November 2026 and email a set of documents to MEA by the same date1. Written examinations are planned for 23 November 2026 at the American University of Beirut and cover mathematics, physics, aptitude, English and personality1. Those who pass are given a preliminary medical with an MEA chief medical officer, planned for the week of 14 December 2026, followed by an assessment set by the flight training school that includes pilot aptitude tests and a personality interview1.

Interviews at MEA headquarters in Beirut are planned for the week of 1 February 2027, and a full medical examination at the American University of Beirut Medical Center for the week of 15 February 2027, at an estimated cost of US$1,2001. The airline says each stage must be passed before moving on, that test results will not be revealed to applicants, and that "MEA's decision is final, and is not subject to dispute or justification"1.

Training, cost and contract

MEA estimates the ab initio phase, covering ground school, simulator and aircraft flying and a jet orientation course, at 66 weeks, followed by a type rating of about 8 weeks1. The training is conducted at "a contracted renowned flying school, usually Flight Training Europe", and the programme cost includes full board accommodation1. After the initial training, cadets complete MEA training for a Lebanese licence, an initial type rating and route training1.

This is not a fully sponsored scheme. MEA states that successful applicants bear the cost of the ab initio training, estimated at US$150,000, payable in three instalments if no loan is needed1. In case of financial difficulty, the airline may help arrange credit after a social investigation of the cadet's finances, with an initial payment of US$35,000, an estimated US$115,000 lent against a US$115,000 bank guarantee and/or a real estate mortgage of not less than US$160,000, interest of around 5.0% and repayment through a 25% deduction from monthly salary1.

The type rating, estimated at US$100,000, is debited to the cadet's account with the legal interest, and waived when all legal, contractual and financial obligations are respected1. Cadets must also hold temporary life and personal accident insurance of US$150,000 naming MEA as the sole beneficiary, which MEA arranges on their behalf at their own expense1. Selected cadets sign a contract for ten years from the date of employment, and MEA gives an approximate starting salary for a first officer of US$3,5001.

A long-standing training partnership

FTEJerez says its relationship with MEA began in 2005 and that, "except for the most senior training captains, every single MEA pilot has trained at FTEJerez"3. A 2023 announcement by the academy gave a slightly different start date, saying the two had worked together since 2006 with nearly 300 cadets graduating in that period4. The academy states that it "is approved by EASA and the UK CAA"5. MEA also runs a separate route, the Cedar Executive pilot selection programme, which is aimed at licensed pilots and lists 1,500 hours total time among its flying requirements6.

Applicants are also joining an airline that has been under scrutiny this year. In June, Reuters reported that Lebanon's aviation regulator had carried out a safety audit of MEA after pilot groups raised concerns about crews flying close to airstrikes and being penalised for reporting safety incidents7. MEA called the audit "an annual procedure that has long been scheduled and is not related to the aforementioned letter"7, and said oversight by the regulator between 18 May and 1 June confirmed its compliance with "regulatory and operational safety requirements", while the head of the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority told Reuters the audit was still being processed78. The airline rejected the pilot groups' claims as "false accusations" and said: "If we were to take zero risk, we would have to halt the company's operations"9.

What this means for applicants

For eligible Lebanese candidates, the programme offers a structured route from ab initio training to an EASA licence and, in MEA's words, eventual work "as part of the Flight Crew", but it comes with significant financial commitments and a ten-year contract1. Applications close on 30 October, and the selection process runs from November 2026 into February 2027; MEA reserves the right to change the published information1. Passing one stage does not guarantee a place, and the airline notes that cadets who can pay their training costs in full are given priority to start training1. The wider regional picture is one of strong demand: a report by Oliver Wyman, cited by Gulf News, forecasts a shortage of more than 10,300 pilots in the Middle East by 203010. See also our guide to frozen ATPL requirements.