German Airline Starts First Seven-Cadet MPL Training Cohort in September 2026

Germany – German Airways and TFC Flight Training have started training for the first cohort of the airline’s WingsUp pilot program in Essen, with seven aspiring pilots joining the intake in September 2026.

• German Airways first announced the program in January 2026, with the initial course scheduled to begin in September.
• WingsUp is structured as an approximately 24-month Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL(A)) program and requires no previous flying experience. Most training takes place with TFC in Essen, although individual modules may be conducted at other locations.
• The training pathway includes an Embraer E190 Type Rating followed by line training on German Airways operations. German Airways describes the program as preparing trainees specifically for multi-crew airline operations on the aircraft type used across its fleet.
• Entry requirements include a minimum age of 18, a Class 1 medical certificate, German and English proficiency, and a German higher-education entrance qualification or equivalent. Applicants also require permission to live and work in Germany and must meet applicable aviation security requirements.
• German Airways currently operates nine Embraer E190 aircraft, having expanded the fleet for the 2026 summer schedule with an additional aircraft registered D-ABKE. The single-type fleet provides the operational platform into which WingsUp training is aligned.
• TFC’s wider ab initio training infrastructure uses single- and multi-engine Cessna, Piper and Grob aircraft with glass-cockpit equipment. Its Essen training environment also includes Boeing 737, Airbus A320 and Boeing 777 simulation equipment.

Source: German Airways