Kloten, Switzerland
Prepare for SWISS International Air Lines
One course prepares you for the SWISS International Air Lines selection process.
SWISS International Air Lines screens with DLR at the cadet selection (aptitude stage).
Swiss candidates holding an unrestricted SPHAIR certificate no older than five years can skip the DLR test and enter directly at the Lufthansa Group assessment stage.
Provider mappings are based on public information and may change. Last checked September 2026.
SWISS International Air Lines is the flag carrier of Switzerland and a member of the Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance, operating from its hub at Zurich Airport with a further base in Geneva. Its fleet combines Airbus A220s and A320-family aircraft on European routes with A330s, A340s and incoming widebody replacements on long-haul services, and the airline is headquartered at Kloten, beside its Zurich hub.
Flying for SWISS International Air Lines
SWISS trains its ab-initio pilots through the European Flight Academy, the Lufthansa Group's flight training organisation, on a roughly two-year course leading toward the SWISS flight deck, and also recruits experienced direct-entry pilots. Young Swiss citizens can enter via the SPHAIR screening programme, whose certificate serves as an alternative entry ticket into selection.
Admission hinges on the DLR aptitude test run by the German Aerospace Center — a demanding computer-based screening of memory, spatial orientation, multi-tasking and psychomotor skill — followed by group exercises, interviews and a medical examination. The DLR is widely regarded as one of the toughest airline selection batteries in Europe, and thorough practice of aptitude and cognitive assessments beforehand is close to essential.
Where SWISS International Air Lines is based
SWISS International Air Lines is headquartered in Kloten, Switzerland.