Make the world the candidate's home.
Etihad Airways, the distinguished national airline of the UAE, was established in 2003 and has rapidly ascended to become one of the world's preeminent carriers. Operating from its strategic hub in Abu Dhabi, Etihad provides comprehensive passenger and cargo services across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. Through extensive codeshare partnerships, the airline’s network provides access to hundreds of international destinations. Etihad is a recipient of numerous awards recognizing its superior service, product offerings, cargo operations, and acclaimed loyalty programme. This growth trajectory is integral to Etihad’s ambitious Journey 2030 strategy, which targets doubling the fleet size and tripling the customer base over the next six years, reinforcing its position as the airline everyone aspires to fly.
This is an unparalleled moment to align a career with Etihad Airways. The airline has demonstrated robust performance, evidenced by carrying over 10 million guests in 2025 alone, launching 27 new destinations, and recording the strongest half-year profit in its history. With a clear trajectory to double the current fleet by 2030, and more than 20 new aircraft scheduled for arrival this year, Etihad is making significant investments in the future and actively redefining the global aviation landscape.
Just as Etihad consistently pushes boundaries for its guests through innovation, sustainability initiatives, and world-class service delivery, the airline is equally dedicated to offering its pilots exceptional and progressive careers.
Abu Dhabi, officially ranked as the world’s safest city in 2025, presents a vibrant, cosmopolitan lifestyle for pilots and their families. This exceptional living environment is complemented by a highly competitive, tax-free remuneration structure, concessionary travel privileges, comprehensive benefits, and abundant opportunities for professional advancement both inside and outside the flight deck.
As a First Officer with Etihad Airways, the candidate assumes a critical role within the flight deck team. The First Officer supports the Captain in ensuring the safe, secure, and efficient execution of every flight operation. Successful candidates are expected to demonstrate exemplary professionalism, advanced technical skill, and collaborative teamwork, while concurrently developing the necessary leadership capabilities required for future command progression.
Etihad provides a competitive, tax-free compensation package specifically structured to reward high performance and fully support the pilot’s lifestyle in Abu Dhabi.
The annual package encompasses a basic salary, flying pay, housing allowance, and layover and meal allowances. Pilots possess the potential to earn up to AED 513,732 (approximately USD 138,318) annually, based on an average of 75 flying hours per month. This salary structure includes performance-based annual increments, supplemented by a comprehensive range of benefits:
To be considered for the First Officer position, candidates must rigorously meet the following criteria:
*Glass Cockpit is defined as an aircraft equipped with a Flight Management System (FMS) coupled to an Automatic Pilot Flight Director System (APFDS).
**Holders of a CPL License must present certified results of the ATPL Theoretical Knowledge Examination and an integrated ATPL course completion certificate.