EASA ATPL in Germany
ATPL theory exams and training in Germany
Germany hosts the Lufthansa Group and one of Europe's densest clusters of independent flight schools, and it runs its professional pilot theory exams centrally from the federal aviation office. If you sit your EASA ATPL papers here, you deal with the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt in Braunschweig.
- Spain~€60,000 to ~€130,000
- Greece~€55,000 to ~€90,000+
- Germany (here)~€85,000 to ~€130,000
- Poland~€55,000 to ~€85,000
- Authority
- LBA
- Theory exams
- 13 EASA papers
- Exam language
- English
At a glance
Sitting the exams
How the ATPL theory exams work
The 13 ATPL theory papers are computer-based, drawn from EASA's European Central Question Bank, with a 75% pass mark per paper. Since 1 August 2022 the ATPL, CPL and IR theory exams are offered in English only. You apply through the federal portal or directly to LBA Department L2, with applications due by the Sunday eight days before the exam week; all subjects must be completed within 18 months of the first sitting, and a passed theory block is valid for seven years. Exam fees are set under the German aviation fee regulation (LuftKostV).Where you sit the exams
ATPL theory exams are sat on-site at the LBA in Braunschweig. Candidates are assigned a computer and choose which subject to attempt within timed windows, and results are issued by post after the full exam week ends. Germany therefore centralises the professional theory exams at one federal location rather than at the training schools.
What ATPL training costs in Germany
- Integrated ATPL
- ~€85,000 to ~€130,000
The Lufthansa Group's European Flight Academy puts the total basic costs of its airline pilot training at about €130,000 on its own costs page (read September 2026), paid in stages. Independent schools such as RWL German Flight Academy and TFC Käufer price on request rather than publishing a figure, and are generally reported below the Lufthansa academy. Overall, budget roughly €85,000 to €130,000 and confirm the exact figure with the school.
Notable ATOs in Germany
A few of the training organisations that run ATPL theory or integrated programmes here under EASA rules. SkyStudy is not affiliated with any of them; the links go to each school's own website so you can check current programmes and pricing yourself.
European Flight Academy (Lufthansa Aviation Training)
Bremen / Rostock-LaageThe Lufthansa Group's flight academy, run by Lufthansa Aviation Training: theory in Bremen, the single-engine phase at a partner school in Goodyear, Arizona, and the multi-engine phase at Rostock-Laage or Grenchen. Its costs page puts total basic costs at about €130,000, and it says Lufthansa Group cockpit vacancies give its graduates priority consideration as a rule.
Visit websiteRWL German Flight Academy
MönchengladbachLBA-approved ATO (DE.ATO.002) offering integrated and modular ATPL, with a Boeing 737-800 full-flight simulator and several FNPT II trainers on site at Mönchengladbach.
Visit websiteTFC Käufer
EssenRuns both an integrated ATPL and an MPL programme, each quoted at 18 to 24 months, with fixed intake dates published on its own training page.
Visit websiteFFH Aviation Training
FreiburgIndependent school training pilots since 1964, with locations in Stuttgart, Freiburg, Augsburg and Karlsruhe.
Visit websiteThe Lufthansa Group cadet pipeline
Germany's distinctive feature is the Lufthansa Group cadet pipeline through the European Flight Academy, which trains for all airlines but says its graduates are, as a rule, given priority consideration for cockpit positions within the Lufthansa Group. That structure, plus the centralised federal exam in Braunschweig and a dense field of independent ATOs, gives Germany one of the largest and most structured training markets in the EASA area.
ATPL in Germany: common questions
Who runs the ATPL theory exams in Germany?
Who runs the ATPL theory exams in Germany?
What language are the ATPL exams in Germany?
What language are the ATPL exams in Germany?
How much does ATPL training cost in Germany?
How much does ATPL training cost in Germany?
Preparing for the LBA ATPL theory exams?
Whichever EASA state you sit them in, the core EASA theory syllabus provides the foundation. SkyStudy supports that syllabus with independently authored revision questions, spaced repetition, and timed mock exams. Free to start, no card needed.