The UK's flag carrier and a oneworld founding member, flying widebodies worldwide from its London Heathrow hub.
British Airways is the UK's largest flag carrier, flying from its London Heathrow (LHR) hub to more than 210 cities worldwide. A founding member of oneworld, it maintains close partnerships with Iberia, American Airlines and others, and sits within International Airlines Group (IAG).
Its widebody backbone is the B777, A380 and B787. Note that the UK levies progressive income tax at rates up to 45%.
* Figures are reference values based on public data and industry benchmarks. Verify actual compensation with each airline's official recruitment information.
| Position | Salary Range | Avg / Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captain International widebody |
¥20.2M–¥40.4M |
¥30.3M | Pre-tax |
| First Officer Seniority-based |
¥11.7M–¥24.6M |
¥16.6M | Seniority-based |
Converted at GBP/JPY = 190. UK income tax is progressive, up to 45%. Figures are reference values based on public data and industry benchmarks; layover per-diems and repatriation allowances are paid separately.
Modeled from the captain / first-officer ranges above, sliced into standard career stages. Bands marked est. are derived from those ranges (not official); verified bands come from active-pilot data. Management pay is crowd-sourced from verified pilots.
| Career Stage | Years | Annual (pre-tax) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cadet / Trainee | ≤2 yrs | ¥3.5M–¥5.9M | est. |
| First Officer — Junior | 3–5 yrs | ¥11.7M–¥17.5M | est. |
| First Officer — Mid | 6–10 yrs | ¥15.3M–¥21M | est. |
| First Officer — Senior | 11–15 yrs | ¥18.8M–¥24.6M | est. |
| Captain — New | 15–18 yrs | ¥20.2M–¥29.3M | est. |
| Captain — Mid | 19–24 yrs | ¥25.9M–¥34.7M | est. |
| Senior Captain | 25+ yrs | ¥31.3M–¥40.4M | est. |
| Management / Instructor / Examiner | — | Data wanted | crowd-sourced |
From the Heathrow hub, BA serves North America (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and 15+ cities), Asia (Tokyo, Beijing, Singapore), plus the Middle East, Africa, South America and Australia.
Boeing 777-200/300ER, 787-8/9/10, Airbus A380-800, A350-1000, and A320/A321neo — roughly 280 aircraft.
Type rating earned at an EASA-approved Training Organization (ATO): ground school → simulator (incl. MCC) → LIFUS.
After the type rating, Line Flying Under Supervision with an instructor captain — typically ~50–80 legs (per EASA FCL.060).
Proficiency Checks 1–2 times per year to EASA FCL.625/735 standards, overseen by the national CAA (UK CAA/DGAC/LBA, etc.).
Command training follows an SFO/Senior F/O period. Additional qualifications include LVP, PBN, ETOPS and RVSM.
Heavily discounted or free tickets for pilots and family, usable on alliance partners too.
High-standard European health cover; loss-of-license insurance is common.
Performance-linked bonus of roughly 2–4 months' pay, sometimes tied to individual performance.
25–35 days per year, backed by generous EU-directive labor law.
Defined-benefit or defined-contribution company pension (DBP/DCP), layered on top of the state pension.
Hotel and per-diem for overseas stays, with a higher cost-of-living uplift for major European cities.
Hiring status: Regular recruitment open — for EASA / UK CAA ATPL holders.
Post-Brexit, a UK CAA ATPL (or a conversion from EASA) is required. EU citizens and UK-resident foreign nationals may also apply.
| Airline | Captain (range) | First Officer | Income Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Airways 🇬🇧 | ¥20.2M–¥40.4M | ¥11.7M–¥24.6M | Income tax applies |
| ANA 🇯🇵 | ¥22M–¥35M | ¥14M–¥21M | ~33% (Japan) |
| JAL 🇯🇵 | ¥22M–¥35M | ¥14M–¥21M | ~33% (Japan) |
* Salary figures are SSOT reference values (pre-tax unless marked tax-free). ANA / JAL shown as the Japan baseline — ~33% income tax applies in Japan, so after-tax take-home is lower than the headline. Tax-free carriers pay 100% take-home. Verify exact figures with each airline.
British Airways captain pay averages about ¥30.3M per year (range ¥20.2M–¥40.4M), pre-tax. Figures are reference values based on public data and industry benchmarks.
British Airways first officer pay averages about ¥16.6M per year (range ¥11.7M–¥24.6M), pre-tax, rising with seniority — see the Career Ladder above for the year-by-year breakdown.
Captain & First Officer (Regular Intake) — International operations, primarily Heathrow-based.. Key requirements — License: UK CAA/EASA ATPL; English: ICAO Level 4+; Min. Hours: 5,000h+ (Captain); Type: B777/A380/B787 preferred. Post-Brexit, a UK CAA ATPL (or a conversion from EASA) is required. EU citizens and UK-resident foreign nationals may also apply.
British Airways captains average ¥30.3M, versus roughly ¥27M at ANA / JAL. Both figures are pre-tax; Japan applies ~33% income tax.