Pay & conditions · Asia-Pacific
Air Premia: pilot jobs, pay and conditions
South Korea · Low-cost · YP / APZ
Hiring status unknown
Hybrid long-haul carrier flying B787-9s from Incheon. Last large pilot drive found was June-July 2024 (60 experienced captains and FOs, B787 rating preferred). 2026 recruitment seen was cabin crew only. Control passed to AP Holdings/Tire Bank in Sept 2025; talks on a sale to VIG Partners (Eastar Jet owner) were under way in 2026. Pilots' union held a strike vote in Jan 2026 (83.8% in favour) and sought mediation in Feb 2026.
Pay
No captain or first-officer pay figure was found in an airline, union, agency or press source. Aju News (3 Feb 2026): the pilots' union first asked for an 8.3% rise in total pay, then narrowed it to raises for first officers at pay step 4 and below backdated to Oct 2024; management refused, saying step-based pay has risen every year since 2023 and faster than for ground staff. The union says pay has in effect been frozen for several years. Pay is on a step (호봉) scale. No expat package found; unnamed agency B787 captain adverts for 'an Asian client' could not be tied to Air Premia. Outcome of the 2026 dispute not found. Second search pass (Nov 2026) found no pilot pay figure in press, agency adverts, the 2023 new-FO and 2024 experienced-pilot hiring notices, or pilot forums (PPRuNe Air Premia thread has no numbers).
Open vacancies (0)
No open pilot vacancies listed right now.
Conditions
- Bases
- ICN
- Fleet
- B787-9
- Union
- Air Premia pilots' union (에어프레미아 조종사노조)
Requirements
- First officer
- 2,000 hours minimum
- Captain
- 5,000 hours minimum
- Type rating
- B787 type rating preferred, not required (2024 drive)
- Licence
- Korean ATPL or CPL
- Other
- 2024 drive: captains 3,000+ h as airline captain; FOs 1,500+ h airline time; aviation English Level 4+, radio licence, Class 1 medical. FO candidates also sit a written exam.
Sources
Not from an official source: figures collected from pilot forums, salary sites and other public sources. Indicative only · figures from 2026-02 · checked 1 Nov 2026
- [단독] 에어프레미아 조종사 파업 '초읽기' (Aju News, 3 Feb 2026)
- Air Premia to Hire 60 Experienced Pilots (Asia Economy, Jun 2024)
- 제주항공, 조종사 20명 이탈 러시 (Aju News, 18 Jul 2024)
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