Behind the scenes on how to become a Cathay Pacific pilot

The month of June saw us celebrate two exciting landmarks: after a three-year hiatus, we held a graduation ceremony for 19 pilot cadets joining the airline as Second Officers, after the completion of their 55-week training on the Cathay Pacific Cadet Pilot Programme – which itself celebrated its 35th anniversary this summer. 

The latest pilot recruits are part of our ambitious target to train 800 pilots this year and next to help rebuild our flying programme. We’re aiming to have 70 per cent of our pre-pandemic passenger operations back in place by the end of this year, with a return to 2019 capacity by the end of 2024. 

There are 400 cadets still in the training pipeline, and earlier this year, we opened our cadet programme not just to Hongkongers, but also to applicants from the Chinese Mainland. “We firmly believe that, in the long run, only by enlarging the pool of local aviation talent can we sustain the development of Hong Kong’s aviation industry,” says Ronald Lam, Cathay Pacific CEO. 

More than 1,000 of our pilots have gone from aspiring aviators to a Cathay Pacific flight deck thanks to the programme. Flying experience is not required, but as we sponsor cadets through their flight school training, selection is rigorous to ensure that only the truly dedicated embark on this adventure. 

Cadets initially attend ground school lectures on a course co-run with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. From there, successful candidates attend flying schools either in Australia or the US, where they get to grips with theory and exercises before learning to fly single or twin-engine propeller training aircraft. 

This will include the special day that every pilot remembers – their first solo flight. After qualifying with both private and commercial licences, cadets return to Cathay Pacific for more ground school, but this time learning about the systems and processes in much larger – and faster – jets.

The 16 male and three female graduates from June’s ceremony are now also gaining invaluable exposure to different aspects of the business beyond the flight deck, for a true bird’s-eye view of what it takes to get airborne. Soon they’ll be operating as relief pilots, taking the front seats and controls on flights when the Captain or First Officers rest. From here, they’ll gain from observation and experience the skills that will make them the captains of the future.

“Developing aviation talent has always been at the heart of who we are as Hong Kong’s home carrier,” said Cathay Pacific Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau at June’s graduation ceremony. “This programme has given us numerous success stories and has helped us cultivate outstanding pilots.”