Gateway Select—Flight Ops

Crewmembers or external candidates with little or no flying experience can land first officer status after this rigorous training and time-building program.

Philip Carroll | Gateway Select | Current JetBlue First Officer, A320, EWR

 
 
 
 

Go from first-timer to first officer.

The Gateway Select program is an innovative talent pathway for those with little or no flying experience to become pilots at JetBlue. This program will allow an applicant, if successful, to learn with us from the beginning and become a JetBlue pilot after completing a rigorous training program. The program will optimize the training of prospective airline pilots by offering early exposure to multi-crew/multi-engine operations, full-motion simulator training, crew resource management, and threat and error management. Once meeting all program requirements, including all requirements of an ATP certificate without restriction and all of JetBlue’s first officer hiring requirements, program graduates will then become new-hire pilots at JetBlue. At that time, graduates will go through the same orientation and six-week instruction that all first officers complete.

 
 

HOW IT WORKS

The path to first officer via Gateway Select.

If accepted into the program, students follow a multi-phase training sequence over the course of about 3.5 years.

 
 
 
 

  • Apply and be selected.

    Apply and be accepted as a Gateway Select student and earn a conditional job offer for a position as a JetBlue first officer.

  • Study and train.

    Successfully complete all program training elements:

    • Foundation Course: Introduction to JetBlue, CAE and flying

    • Primary Training: Private Pilot through Commercial Multi-Engine Certificate

    • Airline Preparation Course: Jet training at JetBlue University

    • Instructor Training: CFI/CFII training

  • Gain experience.

    Work as a flight instructor at CAE in Mesa, AZ to build flight time required to meet the requirements of the Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate without restriction.

  • JetBlue onboarding.

    Successfully complete all requirements to become a JetBlue first officer, including but not limited to a background check, drug/alcohol testing, PRIA review and Pilot Hiring Committee final approval.

Eligibility requirements.

All applicants must:

  • Must successfully complete all required/applicable assessments.

  • Eligible candidates must not exceed a Private Pilot rating upon beginning the program.

  • Must upload First Class Medical Certificate at time of application

  • Must upload a U.S. passport or a U.S. permanent residence card with foreign passport and applicable visas to freely enter and exit, without restrictions to all destinations.

  • Must successfully complete the entire selection process, including application and interview

  • Upon completion of program, must have the ability to meet all requirements in JetBlue’s Pilot Trainee requisition

 

Financial information.

The total cost of Gateway Select is approximately $122,000, payable during the time you are actively in training. Lenders are available to provide loans; information on those options will be provided to those accepted into the program.

 

Gateway Select partner.

CAE is a high technology company, at the leading edge of digital immersion, providing solutions to make the world a safer place. Backed by a record of more than 70 years of industry firsts, we continue to reimagine the customer experience and revolutionize training and operational support solutions in civil aviation, defence and security, and healthcare. We are the partner of choice to customers worldwide who operate in complex, high-stakes and largely regulated environments, where successful outcomes are critical. As a testament to our customers’ ongoing needs for our solutions, over 60 percent of CAE’s revenue is recurring in nature. We have the broadest global presence in our industry, with approximately 11,000 employees, 180 sites and training locations in over 35 countries.

CAE Phoenix Aviation Academy is the largest of CAE’s 12 flight training locations. Specializing in ab initio pilot training for airlines, CAE Phoenix Aviation Academy welcomes more than 600 cadets annually to train on one of 13 active airline training programs.

 
 

 HOW TO APPLY

Land your dream job with Gateway Select.

 
 

  • Step 1

    Submit an application during the designated period.

  • Step 2

    If you’re selected to move forward, you’ll receive an invitation to take an assessment. The assessment fee is $110 and covers the cost of the administration of the assessment and processing fees.

  • Step 3

    Take the online assessment from any location of your choosing with a working internet connection.

  • Step 4

    If you’re selected to move forward based on your assessment results, you'll be invited to meet with the JetBlue team for a series of interviews, then further testing.

  • Step 5

    If you’re selected for the program, you’ll work with the talent acquisition team and JetBlue Gateways team to schedule your class date and prepare for the beginning of training.

Get in touch.

Applications for Gateway Select are currently closed. Please check back for information on when we expect to open our next application window.

Have a question that isn’t answered on this page or in our Gateways FAQ? Use the form to contact the Gateways team.

Please note: This form does not constitute an application and does not enable email updates.