Education · 1 of 5

The path

The airline hires you first, then trains you. Nothing before that is required except high school.

1. 1

   Finish high school

   Grade 12

   That, plus experience dealing with the public, is what airlines actually ask for.

2. 2

   Apply to an airline

   1 to 6 months

   Online application, a recorded video interview, then a group assessment day. Airlines hire in waves, mostly ahead of summer.

3. 3

   Pass the checks

   Weeks

   Criminal record check, airport security clearance, a valid passport, and usually a swim test and a reach test.

4. 4

   Initial training

   About 2 months

   Roughly 5 to 8 weeks at the airline's base, mostly safety: evacuations, fires, first aid, decompression and ditching. You must pass every exam.

5. 5

   Fly as junior crew

   Ongoing

   You start on reserve, on call, with the routes nobody senior wanted. Seniority decides everything after that.