Captain your career
Aviate® is United’s industry-leading pilot career development program offering aspiring and established pilots the most secure path to a United flight deck.
Want to become a pilot at United Airlines?
Let’s start with a few questions to find your path
We believe the success of our airline depends on the success of each individual — so you can have your dream career and count on our support every step of the way.
A clear path to United
We intend to hire more than 10,000 pilots in the next decade and have the largest fleet of widebody aircraft in North America, offering you exciting opportunities to advance.
- A direct path. Aviate participants can transition to United as a First Officer upon successful completion of the Aviate program and hiring requirements
- Travel privileges. Aviate participants enjoy travel privileges to United destinations around the world
- Coaching. Aviate participants will have the opportunity to participate in a coaching program and receive mentorship from United pilots
- Culture. You’ll gain deeper connections with our United team, with access to senior leadership, site visits and tours and an inside look at our culture
Aviate success stories
San Francisco B737 First Officer James W. turned his childhood dream into a reality
Pivoting career paths led SFO B737 First Officer J.W. S. to the United flight deck
San Francisco B737 First Officer Dave N. began flying helicopters, now it’s B737s
Love to fly, born to lead — Find out what makes United a great place to fly.
Fleet & Network
Cleared for takeoff
Work your way toward the career you want with an expansive fleet and network that offer unmatched opportunities for advancement.
The most widebody aircraft of any North American carrier
236 widebody aircraft
41 more than the next leading competitor
That means more United pilots enjoy our highest pay rates and best schedules.
The most comprehensive global route network among North American carriers
4,000 flights per day on average
335 airports served
60 countries around the world
We have nonstop or one-stop service from almost anywhere in the U.S., and our network grows each year. Plus, our participation in Star Alliance™ provides access to an even bigger, growing global network with 28 member carriers.
Bases & Flexibility
Choose your own adventure
With hubs and crew bases in great cities across the U.S., and the ability to explore new opportunities for yourself and your future, you’ll find more ways to live the life you want at United.
United hubs
DEN Denver, CO
EWR New York /
Newark, NJ
GUM Guam
IAD Washington, D.C.
IAH Houston, TX
LAX Los Angeles, CA
ORD Chicago, IL
SFO San Francisco, CA
Crew bases
CLE Cleveland, OH
MCO Orlando, FL
LAS Las Vegas, NV
Training & Innovation
Above and beyond
From industry leadership to cutting-edge technologies to next-level training — we create the best pilots in the industry. Everyone at United delivers on our core4 service behaviors: Safe, Caring, Dependable and Efficient.
Our unique pilot development program matches pilots of different experience levels, making it easy to share knowledge in a personalized way.
Our Flight Training Center (FTC) in Denver is the world’s largest and the industry’s leading airline training facility.
Over 20 other airlines and government agencies send their personnel to train at our FTC.
$150M FTC renovation completed to support our live training events.
50,000 live training events per year.
Learn more about our Flight Training Center
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Culture Of Connection
Connections that matter
We take our Shared Purpose—Connecting people. Uniting the world.—seriously. The moments we share with our customers and our colleagues make United a special place to work and a great way to fly, together.
Awards we’ve won
Our initiatives
We pride ourselves on creating a working environment with supportive business groups, opportunities for everyone and an inclusive culture where pilots and leaders want to work.
Find out more about our people impact
Aviation professional organizations
Our United stories
Chief Trash Officer
A story of how United is investing in a future where sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) could be made from many kinds of waste that can one day help fly our planes.
Unmatched Fleet
United has the largest widebody fleet in North America, offering pilots flights to iconic destinations around the globe. Learn more about our historic order of new Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
First Officer Chambers
Mark wouldn’t let anything get in the way of his dream of flying. Today, he flies a United Boeing 777 around the world.
A sustainable future
With futuristic quests into sustainable aviation fuel and electric planes, it’s more like a gripping sci-fi epic.
Industry Leadership
Together, we soar
We take pride in our ability to continually thrive and grow. Count on us to be there for you for the long haul.
How we grow
213 Domestic destinations
135 International destinations
Looking for answers?
Check out our frequently asked questions, the Aviate Program Guide (APG)or the eligibility chart for more information.
For additional questions, feel free to contact us.