Southwest Airlines Pilot Recruitment 2026
Hiring status, requirements, selection steps and the path to the seat. Requirements checked against Southwest Airlines' official careers pages on .
Is Southwest Airlines hiring pilots in 2026?
Not right now. Southwest Airlines has paused pilot recruitment, according to its official careers pages as of October 3, 2026. Flight experience — preferred: 500 hours in a fixed-wing turbine aircraft, or successful completion of all aspects of a Destination 225 pathway programme. Stated as preferred… Low-hour route: the Southwest Destination 225°.
- Southwest pilot careers — application closed, minimum qualifications, domiciles
- Southwest Destination 225° — the four pathways
Southwest Airlines screens with an aptitude battery before a human reads your application.
Sit a timed practice paper free — no account. Scored on pace as well as accuracy, because pace is what the real battery culls on.
Where are you with Southwest Airlines?
Selection runs on its own timetable, and what helps depends entirely on where you are in it. Tell us, and what we send you matches that — nothing else.
| Hiring status | Paused |
|---|---|
| Country / Region | United States · North America |
| Bases | 12 bases · ATL, AUS, BWI, DAL, DEN +7 more |
| Fleet types | B737-700, B737-800, B737 MAX 7/8 |
| Contract type | Permanent, seniority-based |
| Type ratings accepted | B737 |
| Assessment stages | 1 stages · 3-step pipeline |
Southwest Airlines pilot requirements
As published on Southwest Airlines' official careers pages, checked October 3, 2026.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Certificate | FAA Airline Transport Pilot certificate showing the Airplane Multiengine Land category and class rating and the "English Proficient" limitation |
| Medical | FAA First Class, including any Special Issuance (Authorization) or Statement of Demonstrated Ability where applicable |
| Flight experience — preferred | 500 hours in a fixed-wing turbine aircraft, or successful completion of all aspects of a Destination 225 pathway programme. Stated as preferred, not required. |
| Recency — preferred | Actively flying in two of the last five years |
| How Southwest counts the time | PIC means captain or aircraft commander of record, or the pilot signing for the aircraft — not sole manipulator of the controls. Only fixed-wing time counts: simulator, helicopter, WSO, RIO, FE, NAV, EWO and UAV time are excluded. |
| Application documents | A Flight Hours grid completed in the careers profile, plus supporting files; Southwest recommends having three letters of recommendation ready, as they may be requested immediately after applying. |
| Education | No degree requirement stated |
What the job pays
Estimate — not yet verified against the pilot contract. Full Southwest Airlines pay table, by year and aircraft
The full table with every figure is on the Southwest Airlines salary page.
From student pilot to Southwest Airlines Captain
The hour figures are the FAA legal minimums (14 CFR Part 61); the time ranges are typical, not promises.
Step 1
Private Pilot certificate
40 h minimum 3–6 months 14 CFR 61.109Ground school, the FAA Private Pilot knowledge test (60 questions, 70% to pass), then the checkride. Most students log well over the 40-hour legal minimum.
Try free FAA Private Pilot written questionsStep 2
Instrument rating
50 h cross-country PIC + 40 h instrument 2–4 months 14 CFR 61.65Flying by reference to instruments in cloud. Another FAA knowledge test and checkride.
Step 3
Commercial Pilot certificate
250 h total 6–12 months 14 CFR 61.129The certificate that lets you be paid to fly. Add a multi-engine rating here or later.
Step 4
Build time (usually as a flight instructor)
250 → 1,500 h 1–2 yearsMost pilots instruct (CFI) or fly charter/survey to reach airline minimums.
Step 5
ATP minimums
1,500 h (R-ATP: 1,250 / 1,000 / 750) 14 CFR 61.159 / 61.160Restricted ATP at 1,250 h with an aviation associate degree, 1,000 h with a bachelor's, 750 h for qualifying military pilots. The ATP CTP course comes before the ATP knowledge test.
Step 6
Regional or entry-level airline First Officer
Turbine and Part 121 time 2–4 yearsWhere most US major-airline pilots build turbine and pilot-in-command time.
Step 7
Southwest Airlines First Officer
See the requirements abovePay steps up every year of seniority on the contract scale.
Step 8
Southwest Airlines Captain
Seniority-based upgrade Depends on seniority and growthCaptain seats are bid by seniority; how fast you hold one depends on hiring and retirements, not on your logbook alone.
How to Apply: Southwest Airlines Pilot Application Process
The Southwest Airlines pilot selection process step by step, as the airline describes it (checked October 3, 2026). Where the airline does not publish a stage, we say so.
- 1
Wait for an open window
When a window opensSouthwest's Pilot - First Officer application was closed on 3 Oct 2026. You must apply to an open posting to be considered for an interview.
- 2
Flight Hours grid
Before the windowCreate a Flight Hours grid listing your experience by aircraft; it is kept for future applications but does not replace an application.
- 3
Documents
At applicationUpload additional files for the Pilot Hiring Team and have three letters of recommendation ready: they may be requested right after you apply.
Assessment Stages: What Southwest Airlines Tests
1. Application review
Southwest does not describe its interview stages publicly; the hiring team reviews the application, hours grid and recommendation letters.
Preparation Tips
- Keep your Flight Hours grid current between windows
- Line up three recommendation letters in advance
Southwest Airlines Pilot Interview Questions
Typical questions in airline pilot panel and HR interviews, including at Southwest Airlines. Prepare STAR-format answers (Situation, Task, Action, Result) and 8-10 real aviation stories.
- Q1
Tell me about outstanding customer service.
- Q2
Describe using humor to defuse tension.
- Q3
What does Southwest culture mean to you?
- Q4
Tell me about going above and beyond for a coworker.
- Q5
How would crew members describe you?
- Q6
Why Southwest and not another major?
- Q7
Tell me about working with someone difficult.
Fleet You Could Fly at Southwest Airlines
3 aircraft types currently operated
Type ratings accepted at application
Holding one of these ratings can accelerate the hiring pipeline.
Southwest Airlines Pilot Bases (12)
Available pilot bases — bid by seniority
Cadet Program (No Experience Required)
Southwest Destination 225°
Southwest's pilot pathway programme with four routes: Cadet (little or no flight experience), University (four-year aviation degree at partner universities), Military and Employee. Completing all of a Destination 225° pathway is accepted in place of the preferred 500 turbine hours.
Read full cadet program guide →
Insider Tips for Southwest Airlines Applicants
The only hard gates are the ATP certificate and a First Class medical; turbine time is preferred, not required
Completing a Destination 225° pathway is an accepted alternative to the preferred 500 turbine hours
Keep your Flight Hours grid current so you can apply the day a window opens
Knowing the Southwest Airlines process is step one. Being ready for the stages that actually cut people is step two.
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.
Already past the paperwork and preparing for the panel? , scored against the answers a panel is listening for. Seven days of access, no subscription.
No Southwest Airlines 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Southwest Airlines hiring pilots in 2026?
What are the minimum requirements to fly for Southwest Airlines?
What is the Southwest Airlines pilot selection process?
What aircraft does Southwest Airlines fly?
Where are Southwest Airlines pilot bases?
Does Southwest Airlines have a cadet pilot program?
Related Pilot Career Resources
Southwest Airlines Cadet Program
Not published by Southwest
No-experience route into Southwest Airlines: training, requirements, and selection.
How to Get Hired at Southwest Airlines
Direct-entry deep dive
The full Southwest Airlines direct-entry hiring playbook — written from a real candidate's perspective.
Airline Pilot Interview Guide
200+ questions
HR scenarios, sim assessment drills, and the question banks used at every major airline.
All Airline Recruitment Guides
Hub: 55 airlines
Compare hiring status, requirements, and bases across every major airline.
Pilot Jobs by State
US directory
Find airline pilot jobs in all 50 US states — airlines, airports, and top employers.
More on Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Cadet Program 2026
Ab initio pathway, cost, duration, sponsorship status, how to apply.
Southwest Airlines Pilot Salary 2026
First Officer & Captain pay scales by year, benefits, hours.
Southwest Airlines Career Hub
Full career guide: routes, fleet, bases, training pipeline.
All Airlines Directory
Browse every airline we cover — hiring, pay, and cadet programmes.