Avianca

Avianca is the flag carrier of Colombia and one of the oldest airlines in the world, operating from its main hub at Bogotá's El Dorado International Airport as a member of the Star Alliance. Its fleet is built around the Airbus A320 family for short and medium haul, with Boeing 787 Dreamliners on long-haul routes and A330neos joining from 2026. The airline sits within Abra Group alongside Brazil's GOL, forming one of Latin America's largest airline groups.

Flying for Avianca

Avianca recruits predominantly through direct entry, hiring rated and experienced pilots onto the A320 family and developing widebody crews internally through seniority-based progression. For newer pilots, the airline screens and assesses cadet-profile candidates for A320 type-rating pathways through partnerships with training organisations, and Colombian flight-school graduates form a steady pipeline into the right seat; there is no fully sponsored zero-hour cadet scheme, so candidates fund their initial licences before joining.

Selection involves computer-based aptitude and psychometric testing alongside technical interviews, English proficiency assessment and simulator checks. Avianca's assessors place weight on multitasking, spatial reasoning and composure under time pressure, and candidates who have rehearsed these test formats beforehand consistently perform more confidently on the day.