Lufthansa vs Turkish Airlines
A side-by-side comparison of pilot careers at Lufthansa (LH) and Turkish Airlines (TK) — 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 Turkish Airlines into Turkey. 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 do not have a pack for either yet — the aptitude practice below applies to both.
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
Turkish Airlines
- ICAO ATPL
- 3,000+ hours total
- 1,500+ on jets
- Class 1 medical
- English Level 4+
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
Turkish Airlines
Pros
- +Modern fleet with 787 Dreamliner
- +Simplified fleet — fewer type ratings needed
Cons
- –High minimum hour requirements (3,000+)
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 →Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines flies to more countries than any other airline, operating from Istanbul's new mega-hub airport.
Full Turkish Airlines career guide →Calculate Your Salary
Model your earning potential at Lufthansa or Turkish Airlines based on your experience, ratings, and career stage.
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