Cargo pilot jobs
Freighter flying — Captain and First Officer vacancies on narrowbody and widebody cargo aircraft.
bestpilotjobs lists 33 cargo pilot vacancies as of Oct 2026, across 22 operators. Cargo pilot jobs are flight-deck positions flying freight rather than passengers — operating dedicated freighters and converted aircraft on scheduled cargo networks, express and overnight runs, and ACMI charters. Because the schedule is built around freight distribution, cargo flying carries more night operations and back-of-the-clock departures, on a route map centred on cargo hubs rather than passenger demand.
What a cargo pilot does
The core airmanship is the same as airline flying — flight planning, performance and fuel, systems management, weather assessment and command decisions. Cargo operations add their own emphasis: careful weight-and-balance and loadsheet work, dangerous-goods awareness, long-sector and tech-stop fuel planning, and disciplined management of night flying and fatigue. Long sectors are sometimes flown by augmented ("heavy") crews.
What flying is involved
Cargo aircraft run from narrowbody freighters such as the 737F and A321F, through widebodies like the 767F, A330F and 777F, to heavies such as the 747-400F and 747-8F, plus turboprop feeders. The aircraft directory lists the full range.
- Dedicated freighter airline operations
- Integrator and express parcel networks with overnight hubs
- ACMI and wet-lease cargo contracts
- Scheduled and charter air freight
- Mail, humanitarian and project / outsize cargo
Cargo pilot ranks and roles
Heavy-jet command is one of the main draws of cargo flying, and the progression to the left seat of a widebody freighter is often faster than on the equivalent passenger fleet.
- First Officer — operates as part of the multi-crew freighter flight deck
- Senior First Officer — an experienced First Officer rank used by some cargo operators
- Captain — pilot in command of the flight
- Training Captain, Instructor and Examiner — approved training and standards roles
What cargo operators look for
Typical requirements are a CPL or ATPL(A), a multi-engine instrument rating, a valid Class 1 medical and ICAO English. Heavy-jet and on-type experience is prized, and a freighter-specific type rating is frequently funded by the operator on a contract. Some cargo carriers also run structured First Officer training programmes.
ACMI and contract cargo flying
Cargo is the heart of the ACMI market. ACMI stands for Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance: an operator supplies an aircraft and crew to another airline or customer for an agreed period or operation. A large share of international freighter flying works this way, which opens rotational and commuting contracts for pilots without direct employment by the airline whose network they operate.
How cargo flying differs from passenger flying
The regulatory backbone is identical, but the operating rhythm is not: night networks, freight-focused airports, augmented crews on long sectors and a roster built around distribution rather than passenger travel. The long-term outlook is strong — Boeing expects air cargo traffic to roughly double over 20 years and the dedicated freighter fleet to grow about two-thirds. The sourced figures are on the pilot demand outlook.
Live cargo pilot jobs · 33 · page 1 of 4
Frequently asked questions
Do cargo pilots need a different licence than airline pilots?
No — the licence is the same CPL or ATPL(A) with a multi-engine instrument rating and Class 1 medical. What differs is the aircraft: cargo roles often require, or fund, a freighter-specific type rating, and value heavy-jet experience.
Is cargo flying mostly at night?
Often, yes. Freight networks — especially express and integrator operations — are built around overnight sorting hubs, so cargo pilots typically fly more night sectors and back-of-the-clock departures than passenger crews.
What aircraft do cargo pilots fly?
Everything from narrowbody freighters like the 737F and A321F to widebodies such as the 767F, A330F and 777F, up to the 747-400F and 747-8F heavies, plus turboprop feeders. Each listing states the exact type.
What is ACMI cargo flying?
ACMI stands for Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance. Under an ACMI contract an operator provides the aircraft and crew to another airline or customer for a set period, so a pilot can fly a network without being directly employed by the carrier that owns it. It is very common in international freight.
Are cargo pilot jobs growing?
The long-term forecast is positive: Boeing expects air-cargo traffic to roughly double over 20 years and the freighter fleet to grow about two-thirds, with the large widebody freighter fleet nearly doubling. See the pilot demand outlook for the sourced numbers.
Can low-hour pilots get cargo jobs?
It is harder than in the airline cadet market, but some cargo operators run First Officer training programmes. Most cargo hiring is experience-led, with heavy-jet time and an on-type rating giving the strongest position.