Lufthansa vs Ryanair
A side-by-side comparison of pilot careers at Lufthansa (LH) and Ryanair (FR) — covering salary, fleet, requirements, and more.
Airline selection starts with an aptitude battery
It screens you before a human reads your application. Sit a timed practice paper free — scored on pace, which is what actually culls candidates.
Which one fits you
Read from the numbers above rather than from opinion. Where the published data does not settle a question, it is left open instead of guessed.
Different countries, different right to work
Lufthansa hires into Germany and Ryanair into Ireland. Before comparing anything else, check which one you can legally be employed in — residency and licence conversion decide more applications than flying ability does.
Whichever you pick, the gate is the same shape
Both run an aptitude battery before a human reads your CV, then a competency interview scored against the ICAO pilot competencies. We have a full pack for Ryanair, and not for the other one yet.
Knowing what Lufthansa pays is the easy part. Getting through their selection is the part that decides whether you ever earn it.
Before a human reads your application there is an aptitude battery, and candidates consistently report it as the heaviest cull — pace, not difficulty. You can practise it here for free: timed papers generated fresh each run, plus a divided-attention drill that measures how much your performance degrades under load.
No Lufthansa pack yet — want it built?
We will not pretend to have one. We build the next pack for the airline that gets asked for most, so leaving your address here is a vote. No sequence, one email when it ships.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Requirements Comparison
Lufthansa
- EASA ATPL
- EASA Class 1 medical
- Type rating on Lufthansa fleet aircraft
- German language helpful
- Lufthansa training program or equivalent
Ryanair
- EASA frozen ATPL
- Class 1 medical
- Boeing 737 type rating
- EU right to work
Pros & Cons
Lufthansa
Pros
- +Modern fleet with 787 Dreamliner
- +Simplified fleet — fewer type ratings needed
Cons
- –Local language proficiency preferred
- –Type rating required before application
Ryanair
Pros
- +Faster career progression
- +Simplified fleet — fewer type ratings needed
Cons
- –Higher workload with quick turnarounds
- –Lower starting FO salary compared to US/Gulf carriers
- –Type rating required before application
About Each Airline
Lufthansa
Germany's flag carrier and Europe's largest airline group. Lufthansa runs its own pilot training academy (European Flight Academy).
Full Lufthansa career guide →Ryanair
Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers. Single-type Boeing 737 fleet with bases across Europe. Known for rapid career progression.
Full Ryanair career guide →Calculate Your Salary
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