Pilot Careers

Universal Air is the latest airline of Malta, our pilots reflect this spirit, with a focus on safety and passenger care at the front of every flight. Sustainability is at the core of the company, having deliberately chosen the Dash 8-400 for its low CO2 per passenger mile, our pilots are the key in delivering a reliable service at minimal cost to the environment.

Universal Air Pilots

As a pilot at Universal Air, you will be dedicated to providing the highest level of customer service, ensuring a safe and prompt flight. We offer a modern fleet of Dash 8-400 aircraft, providing a challenging environment with a mix of scheduled and charter routes. We are a young and growing company with many opportunities for career advancement and with further expansion plans for the future.

Launch of the 2024 Pilot Scholarship

Universal Air is proud to introduce its inaugral fully sponsored Pilot Scholarship Programme for 2024, a landmark initiative for Malta

Find out more

Meet the Team

Daniel

TRI / Captain

Francesco

First Officer

Mathieu

First Officer

Our Entry Requirements

Our requirements to apply for a position as a Pilot.

  • Minimum 2,000 hours Total flying time
  • Greater than 1,000 hours Command time on an aircraft over 10 tonnes.
  • Valid EASA ATPL Pilots Licence
  • Valid EASA Class One Medical – minimum of six months remaining on date of joining
  • Unrestricted right to live and work in the EU
  • English Language proficiency – minimum level 5.
  • Valid EASA Commercial Pilots Licence
  • Have a valid Instrument rating or previously held an instrument rating
  • Valid EASA Class one Medical – minimum six months validity on date of joining
  • Completed an MCC or APS MCC Course
  • Advanced UPRT
  • Unrestricted right to live and work in the EU
  • English language proficiency – minimum level 5

Pilot journey to onboarding

Application

The application process starts with the application form on the Universal Air careers website.  You will be required to enter your personal details and answer  some questions to show your motivation for joining Universal Air

Competency Interview

Online teams Competency based interview with members of the recruitment team.  The questions will be based on the Universal Air Pilot Competency list and the answers should be formulated using the S.T.A.R format.

Assessment Day

The assessment day will be based in Malta and will include a group exercise and a simulator assessment on a medium jet FNPT II simulator.

Offer

Once you have successfully completed the assessment process and you are placed on a course.  A formal offer will be sent.

Pre-Employment Checks

Pre-employment checks require a five-year employment and Criminal record checks

Welcome on board

You will be met by the recruitment and training team to start your Operational Conversion Course.

Current Pilot Vacancies

Frequently Asked Questions

There are two routes to become qualified as a commercial pilot and be able to apply as a First Officer at Universal Air.

  1. An integrated route with full time training, dedicating your time to passing the 14 required ATPL exams and then straight into flight training and hour building for the 200 required hours. This route generally takes around 2years.
  2. Some pilots choose a modular route, this suits candidates who still have work commitments and are able to complete their exams and flight training at a slower speed. The timeframe for this can vary greatly in time depending on personal circumstances.

Initially you need to pass all 14 ATPL (Airline Transport Pilots Licence) written exams, these are multiple choice but require dedication of time to be successful in.

Once you have completed the exams you have to hour build in small single engine aircraft 150 hours before taking your CPL (Commercial Pilots Licence) flight test.

Once you have your CPL you then need an IR (instrument Rating, the    ability to fly in all weather conditions) and Multi Engine endorsement, again this is normally taken on small twin engine aircraft.

With your ATPL exams, CPL and IR with ME you are able to apply to UA!

In order to fly our Dash 8-400 aircraft you have to have an ATPL, this is achieved once you have 1500hrs total flying time and 500hours in a multi pilot environment (such as the Dash 8!). Fortunately there is no more exams as you did them earlier!

A UA pilot on average flies 500-800 hours a year. This may not sound like much compared to an office roll, however that does not include your pre-flight duties (an hour before scheduled departure) and post flight (30min after landing) or the time spent on turn arounds. The legal yearly limit is 900hrs.

At UA our goal with pilots is to give them a stable and fixed life. Aviation can be a very anti social profession, and it is normal to fly on special days such as Christmas, however we provide a fixed pattern roster of either 6 days on 3 days off for Malta based Captains and all First Officers, or in some circumstances 20 days on 10 days off for Captain. This means you  can plan your personal life far in advance.

For our pilots based in Malta you will regularly be home most nights. However aviation is a travel industry and there will be times you spend away from home.

For pilots flying is a passion, very few (if any) pilots wake up in the morning dreading another day at work, and breaking through the clouds to a sunny day regardless of the weather never gets dull.

The Dash 8 is a very interesting aircraft and incredibly challenging, with jet like speeds, a large passenger capacity but far less automation than other airliners.

We are a young company with big ambitions for the future, everyone from the flight deck to the reception desk is keen and eager to drive the company forward into a success. We offer career progression into the Captains seat and training opportunities in the office, along with opportunities as the company grows.