Virgin Atlantic - Fast Jet Direct Entry Senior First Officers

Job Description

We are now also welcoming EU nationals to apply for this role, and upon job offer we will provide you with a 5-year sponsorship with the right to live and work in the UK!

Following a long break in recruitment of direct entry ex-military Fast Jet pilots we are pleased to announce that we are now accepting a limited number of applications for courses starting in 2024 and 2025. In recognition of your previous military experience, we are offering entry as Senior First Officers.

Salary: Competitive plus excellent benefits
Contract: Permanent
Location: London Heathrow

In a nutshell
As a member of our Flight Crew, you will be joining the UK’s only exclusively long-haul airline. Flying out of London Heathrow to exciting destinations such as New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Delhi, Barbados, Antigua and many more.

Our pilots head up our flying operation every day, being part of the crew and the wider team that make the difference to our customers as they fly Virgin Atlantic. As a high performing and motivated professional pilot, you will give our customers an exceptional journey, delivering consistent operational excellence in the sky whilst maintaining our high safety standards.

We have one of the youngest, cleanest, and most technologically sophisticated twin-engine wide-body fleet of any airline. So, as a pilot, you’ll abe flying industry leading modern and efficient aircraft, which is being further renewed with deliveries every year. So, if you’re ready to take your career to new heights, read on.

Day to day
When operating, you will demonstrate excellent aircraft handling ability. Extensive procedural and technical knowledge as well as strong leadership, and outstanding human factors. All of which will give you the passion and drive to be a future Commander here at Virgin Atlantic Airways.

When you become a Virgin Atlantic pilot, you’ll need to live up to the highest professional and safety standards, leading our operation and taking pride in making values-based decisions in the air and on the ground. You’ll work in a team built around trust and communicate closely with our Flight Service Manager, cabin crew and ground teams. Your actions will continue to enhance the brand’s reputation and impact our customers every time you report for duty.

We will provide recurrent training and checking to the professional and medical standards required by the CAA and Virgin Atlantic. We thrive off the challenges we face and this furthers our personal growth, supported by our industry leading training and development team.

About you
We inspire everyone to take on the world, championing inclusivity, activism, and challenger spirit. It guides us in everything we do as we strive to make progress on the issues that matter the most.

Our Pilot community is made up of diverse backgrounds, so respect and teamwork are fundamental. If you have a genuine passion for flying, for all aspects of aviation and want to play a key role in helping us to become the ‘Most Loved’ Travel Company, why not apply today?

We are looking for pilots to join us as First Officers and Senior First Officers!
In order to be suitable, you must be operating, or have operated in the last three years on one of the following RAF Aircraft:

F-35 B Lightning II
Typhoon FGR4

Hawk
Foreign exchange tour flying experience will be considered.

You’ll need a minimum experience of 1000 Fast-Jet hours. Hours accumulated instructing on a training aircraft may also be considered as part of the Fast-Jet hours (Creamies or training roles following a front-line tour).

You also need the following:

• Hold a current UK Class One Medical.
• ATPL exams complete at time of interview
• Frozen ATPL issued by the UK CAA at the date of joining.
• The ability to demonstrate a high level of proficiency in English (certified as ICAO level 6 English Proficiency when applying)
• Applicants must be prepared to provide copies of three Flying Training Reports (Basic (EFT) Flying Training Report, Advanced Flying Training Report and their most recent Annual Flying Report) prior to interview.

What we offer

Our pioneering spirit and passion keeps our brand alive, and with one of the best concessionary packages in the industry, we give our people the rewards and benefits that they deserve. Because the best, deserve the best:

• Private Medical Scheme (for you and your family)
• Generous contributory pension scheme(up to 15% company contribution)
• A high-energy work environment that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion and a number of internal networks for support, guidance and assistance in the workplace
• Access to our employee assistance programme and Digital GP service
• Industry-leading Staff Travel benefits.

Be yourself - Our differences make us stronger.


Our customers come from all walks of life and so do our colleagues. That’s why we’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and actively encourage applications from all backgrounds. At Virgin Atlantic we believe everyone can take on the world - no matter your age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities, religion, or beliefs. We celebrate difference, and everything that makes our colleagues unique, by upholding an inclusive environment in which we can all thrive. So that everyone at Virgin Atlantic can be themselves and know they belong.