Airbus A350 Type Rating Guide
A350-900 · A350-1000 · A350F (freighter)
Key operators
Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Air France, British Airways, Finnair, Japan Airlines, Thai Airways, Vietnam Airlines
Licence & eligibility requirements
Full ATPL required by virtually all A350 operators
Training structure
A350 CBT technical modules, 4–5 simulator phases, OPC, LOFT, Line Check
Approved training organisations
Airbus Training Centre (Toulouse, Miami, Beijing), CAE (Amsterdam, Dallas, Singapore), Lufthansa Aviation Training
Demand outlook
Growing strongly. The A350 is Airbus's primary long-haul growth platform with a large unfilled order book beyond 2030.
Key facts
The A350 uses over 70% advanced materials including carbon fibre — its fuel efficiency makes it the aircraft of choice for new ultra-long-haul routes.
Cross-crew qualification (CCQ) allows A320 or A330-rated Airbus pilots to transition to the A350 with reduced training time.
Qatar Airways is the world's largest A350 operator — and a major recruiter of direct-entry A350 Captains globally.
The A350F freighter variant entered commercial service in 2025, opening a new stream of freighter Captain vacancies.
Singapore Airlines' A350-900ULR (Ultra Long Range) operates the world's longest commercial routes — Singapore–New York nonstop at 19 hours.