TAP Air Portugal

TAP Air Portugal is the flag carrier of Portugal, a Star Alliance member operating an Airbus fleet of A320-family narrowbodies and A330neo widebodies from its hub at Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport. The airline is a leading link between Europe, Brazil and Portuguese-speaking Africa, leveraging Lisbon's position on the Atlantic rim. As of mid-2026 the airline is in the final stage of a partial privatisation, with Air France-KLM and Lufthansa Group invited to submit binding offers for a stake of up to 44.9 per cent.

Flying for TAP Air Portugal

TAP recruits direct-entry pilots for its Airbus fleet through its own careers portal, and has run a graduate placement pathway with the flight training academy FTEJerez, under which selected academy graduates meeting TAP's criteria can be invited for assessment in Lisbon. There is no confirmed open cadet intake at present, and recruitment volumes depend on demand and on the outcome of the ongoing privatisation process, so aspiring candidates should monitor the airline's recruitment pages closely.

Selection at TAP typically combines computer-based aptitude and psychometric testing with technical interviews, HR interviews and simulator evaluation, conducted at the airline's Lisbon base. Competition for places at a flag carrier of this profile is strong, and candidates who have practised pilot aptitude and cognitive assessments beforehand arrive at the testing stage with a clear advantage.