AirlineHong Kong SARAsia-PacificCPA / CX
Registered as Cathay Pacific Airways Limited.
Verified 30 July 2026
Cathay Pacific is Hong Kong's home carrier, operating long haul and regional Airbus and Boeing widebody aircraft from its Hong Kong hub. It hires experienced first officers on direct entry terms and also runs its own cadet pilot programme for ab-initio candidates.
Applications are made on Cathay Pacific's own site. SkyStudy never collects an application, a document or a fee.
What the operator asks for
Only what Cathay Pacific states publicly. "Not stated" means the operator does not publish that figure, not that there is no requirement, and never that the requirement is zero.
Any age, nationality, residency, height or vision criterion above is the operator's own stated criterion, quoted from its own page. Some such criteria are lawful where an operator recruits and unlawful elsewhere, including in the EU. SkyStudy reports them factually and does not adopt them as requirements of its own.
Every published profile is checked by hand against the operator's own careers page, and is flagged for a recheck 180 days after that check. Requirements change without notice, so confirm every figure on the operator's own careers page before you apply.
Contract type: Not stated. Do not assume direct employment; some operators contract through an agency or on a self-employed basis, which changes tax, sick pay and pension entirely.
Pay: Not stated on the operator's own page.
For what pilots earn by region and seat, with its own sources and dates, see the pilot salary guide. Those are market ranges, not an offer from this operator.
Worth knowing
Provenance
Each entry is the sentence the value was read from, on the operator's own site. If a figure here is out of date, the quote is what to check it against.
licence.family
ICAO Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) or Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) with a Multi Engine Instrument Rating (MEIR)
careers.cathaypacific.comhours.total
Minimum total flying time of 1,500 hours (3,000 hours preferred)
careers.cathaypacific.comhours.pic
Minimum 500 hours as P1, of which a maximum 250 hours can be P1 U/S
careers.cathaypacific.commedicalClass
A valid Class 1 Medical Certificate
careers.cathaypacific.comenglishLevel
ICAO English Language Proficiency Level 4 or above
careers.cathaypacific.comother
1,500 Hours on civil aircraft certified for multi-crew operations with MTOW >10,000 kg ... including 500 hours (including at least 250 P1 and/or P1 U/S hours) in the preceding 5 years
careers.cathaypacific.comselection
The selection process consists of pre-employment medical check (including HKCAD Class 1 medical) and background check (including criminal records)
careers.cathaypacific.comSkyStudy covers all 13 EASA ATPL subjects with a question bank, explanations and an adaptive study plan. Free to start, no card needed.