Turkey’s national flag carrier, Turkish Airlines (THY), has opened applications for Take-Off Cadet, its prestigious training programme designed to prepare new graduates for a career in aviation. The programme aims to recruit young talents who aspire to build a career in the airline industry and integrate them into Turkish Airlines’ professional pilot team.
Training and Career Journey
Candidates who are accepted into the Take-Off Cadet Programme and successfully complete the evaluation stages will undergo an intensive 15–18 month training period, combining both theoretical and practical instruction. Upon completion, they will attend type rating training lasting 3 to 6 months, either within Turkish Airlines or at affiliated flight training academies in Turkey or abroad, before starting their careers as First Officers.
General Application Requirements
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Turkish citizen or Blue Card holder
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At least a bachelor’s degree (YÖK equivalency certificate may be required)
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Date of birth between 01.01.1995 and 31.12.2004
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Height between 160–195 cm; Body Mass Index (BMI) between 20–30
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Completed military service or postponed for at least 2 years
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No criminal record or archived criminal history
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Not previously enrolled in any pilot training programme
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Fluent and understandable spoken Turkish (required for Blue Card or dual citizenship holders)
English Language Proficiency Requirement
Candidates must hold a valid English proficiency score from one of the following exams at the time of application:
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TOEFL IBT: Minimum 60 (Speaking min. 18)
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IELTS (Academic/General): Minimum 6 (Speaking min. 6)
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PTE Academic: Minimum 53 (Speaking min. 53)
Note: TOEFL Home Edition, IELTS Online, and PTE Online results are not accepted.
If the language certificate is not available during the application, candidates who pass THY’s online English test will be granted additional time to submit the required documentation.
Medical Requirements
Candidates must meet Turkish Airlines’ flight fitness and medical criteria. Detailed information can be found on THY’s official resources.
Candidate Profile
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Strong communication skills and a team-oriented mindset
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Competence in problem-solving and decision-making
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Situational awareness and emotional regulation
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Interest in and motivation for basic aviation knowledge
Application Process and Required Documents
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Application deadline: 17 October 2025, at 15:00
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Applications must be submitted exclusively via the THY career portal. The following documents must be uploaded in PDF format:
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Transcript obtained from e-Devlet
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Criminal Record and Archive Certificate (purpose: “other” for an official institution)
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SGK Registration and Employment History (barcode version)
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Evaluation Stages
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Online document screening
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Online English test
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Psychometric assessments
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Competency evaluation
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Interviews with HR and technical departments, document check, height/weight measurement
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Preliminary medical examination
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Final flight fitness assessment
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Job offer and document submission
Important Notes:
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Candidates who fail twice during the evaluation stages are not eligible to reapply.
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Candidates missing a language certificate will be given approximately one month to submit it.
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Turkish Airlines reserves the right to modify any part of the process.
