CPL(A) AND ATPL(A) Training: From Commercial Pilot to Airline Pilot
CPL(A) AND ATPL(A) TRAINING: FROM PROFESSIONAL PILOT TO AIRLINE PILOT.
Many aviation enthusiasts dream of one day becoming airline pilots. But with different licenses, levels of responsibility, and training paths, it can sometimes be difficult to know where to start. Two licenses are consistently required in the professional world: the CPL(A) and the ATPL(A). Both allow you to fly, but at very different levels. Here is a comprehensive guide to understanding their roles, requirements, and the path to becoming an airline pilot.
The CPL and ATPL: two licenses for two levels of responsibility in a pilot's career.
The CPL(A), known as the Commercial Pilot License – Airplane, is the first professional license. It allows a pilot to be paid to fly.
The ATPL(A), or Airline Transport Pilot License – Airplane, is the highest level of airline pilot license. It is mandatory to be a captain on an airliner, i.e., responsible for the entire flight, the aircraft, and the passengers.
In other words, the CPL allows you to work as a pilot, and the ATPL allows you to fly an airliner. We can therefore say that the CPL is a gateway into the profession, and the ATPL is the ultimate goal.
THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PROCEDURE OF THE CPL(A)
To obtain the CPL(A), candidates must be at least 18 years old, hold a Class 1 medical certificate, and demonstrate a minimum level of experience. They must pass the CPL/IR theoretical exams, followed by a CPL(A) skill test, which is a comprehensive practical flight exam. During this test, the examiner assesses the candidate's precision in flying, handling of malfunctions, navigation, compliance with normal, abnormal, and emergency procedures, as well as decision-making. Upon completion of this course, the pilot officially becomes a professional pilot.
ATPL(A) REQUIREMENTS
The ATPL(A) can only be issued in its full form from the age of 21, and only when the pilot has logged a total of at least 1,500 flight hours. These hours must include specific minimums as PIC, night flying, IFR instrument flying, long-distance navigation, and multi-pilot flying. In addition to the CPL, pilots must hold an IR(A) rating, an ME(A) multi-engine rating, and have completed MCC (Multi-Crew Cooperation) training, which is essential for working as part of a crew in an airline.
THE "FROZEN ATPL": AN INTERMEDIATE STEP
It is in the interval between obtaining the CPL(A) and reaching 1,500 flight hours that what is commonly referred to as a frozen ATPL appears. This term has no regulatory existence, but it is widely used in the aviation industry. It refers to a pilot who has completed all 14 ATPL theory certificates but does not yet have the experience required to have their ATPL issued in full. During this phase, the pilot flies legally with a CPL license, most often as a co-pilot or first officer, while gaining operational experience.
NO ATPL PRACTICAL TRAINING: THE ESSENTIAL SUBTLETY
This is where an essential subtlety arises: there is no ATPL training as such. All professional practical training is actually part of the CPL program. Whether we are talking about takeoffs, landings, navigation, instrument flying, precision approaches, go-arounds, or even failure management, all of these are an integral part of CPL(A) practical training. The real difference between the CPL and the ATPL therefore lies mainly in the theoretical training. ATPL theory is much more extensive, technical, and in-depth than CPL theory. It covers complex aircraft systems, public transport performance, advanced meteorology, long-haul navigation, OPS regulations, operational flight planning, and crew management.
A DEMANDING PROFESSION: MAINTAINING SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
Whether you hold a CPL or an ATPL, the regulatory requirements remain very high. Pilots must maintain their type ratings, regularly attend simulator training sessions, pass proficiency checks known as LPCs and OPCs, and hold a valid Class 1 medical certificate, with increasingly frequent check-ups as they get older. This strict framework ensures that pilots remain fit for duty at all times, both technically and physically and mentally.
A TECHNICAL JOURNEY... BUT ABOVE ALL A HUMAN ONE
The CPL(A) allows you to become a paid professional pilot, while the ATPL(A) allows you to become a captain in commercial air transport. The practical training is always that of the CPL, and the real difference with the ATPL lies in the theory and experience gained through flight hours. The "frozen ATPL" simply corresponds to this intermediate period when the theory has been validated but the flight hours are not yet sufficient. The full ATPL is therefore not just a diploma, but the culmination of a long journey of training, experience, and professional maturity.
THE DEEP MEANING OF THE JOURNEY TOWARDS PROFESSIONAL DRIVING
At the end of this regulatory and technical journey, obtaining a CPL(A) or ATPL(A) license appears above all to be a human journey. Behind the texts, flight hours, and qualifications, there is a progression made up of doubts, efforts, questioning, but also passion and perseverance. Each step builds a more precise, more responsible pilot who is more aware of their role in a system that transcends them. The cockpit is then no longer just a cockpit, but a place where rigor, self-control, and the trust placed in others come together. Becoming an airline pilot is not just about reaching a certain technical level: it means accepting to join a line of professionals dedicated to movement, and embracing the simple but demanding idea that flying remains, even today, as much a commitment as a privilege.
CPL(A) AND ATPL(A) : DIFFERENCES AT A GLANCE
|
COMPARISON ELEMENT |
CPL(A) |
ATPL(A) |
| Full name | Commercial Pilot License – Airplane | Airline Transport Pilot License – Airplane |
| Main role | First professional license allowing you to get paid for flying | Airline transport pilot license allowing you to be a captain |
| Level of responsibility | Professional pilot (often co-pilot, instructor, air work pilot) | Position of captain in public transportation |
| Minimum age | 18 years old | 21 years old |
| Medical requirements | Class 1 medical certificate | Class 1 medical certificate |
| Required flight hours | Lower, according to regulations (approximately 150–200 total hours depending on the course) | Minimum 1,500 flight hours |
| Theoretical training | CPL/IR Theory | ATPL theory (14 certificates), more comprehensive and in-depth |
| Practical training | All professional practice (takeoffs, landings, failure management, IFR, etc.) | No ATPL practice: practice is that of the CPL |
| Required qualifications | None mandatory beyond the CPL module (often supplemented by IR/ME) | IR(A) + ME(A) + MCC (mandatory for multi-crew operations) |
| Practical exam | CPL(A) skill test | No specific test: the ATPL is issued once the experience and prerequisites have been met. |
| Use in airlines | Can fly as a co-pilot with a frozen ATPL | Allows you to be the captain |
| Frozen ATPL | Not applicable | Phase in which ATPL theory is validated but flight hours are insufficient |
| Outlook | Access to the profession of commercial pilot | Access to command and maximum responsibilities |
| Final objective | Early career | Professional maturity and leadership |
