Airline Transport Pilot Certificate (ATP)

The airline transport pilot certificate (ATP) is the pinnacle of pilot certifications; there is no higher certification.  An ATP certificate is a requirement to be able to act as pilot-in-command for a scheduled airline. As of January 2008, there were 146,722 airline transport pilots in the United States. 

An applicant for an ATP certificate must pass a written examination and a practical examination. The practical examination is administered by an FAA examiner, and consists of an oral test and a flight test.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for an ATP certificate, a person must be at least 23 years of age, be of “good moral character”, and hold at least a commercial certificate with an instrument rating (or the equivalent military or foreign certifications). An applicant must also be able to read, write, and speak the English language, and be able to pass a class I physical examination.

Flight Training

An applicant for an ATP certificate must have a minimum of 1500 hours of logged flight time. At least 250 hours of the total must be as pilot in command.

The total flight hours required of an ATP applicant consist of the following specific training and experience requirements:

  • 100 hours of night flight
  • 500 hours of cross-country flight
  • 75 hours of actual or simulated instrument flight time

Privileges and Limitations

In addition to the privileges of a commercial pilot with an instrument rating, an ATP may serve as a captain for scheduled airlines.

Cost of Obtaining an ATP Certificate

Assuming that all of the experience requirements are already met, the estimated cost of the specific training for an ATP certificate would be $2000 to $3000.