Austrian Airlines and Austria’s Bundesheer have started a pilot-sharing cooperation that sends two military pilots, one helicopter pilot and one jet pilot, into Airbus A320 type-rating training with the carrier from Monday. The programme is designed to keep experienced military aviators in service longer while giving the airline additional cockpit capacity during peak periods.
Under the model, the pilots are expected to remain in Bundesheer service for an extra ten years and then divide flying duties between the military and Austrian Airlines. The planned rotation runs from November to April for the Bundesheer and from May to October for Austrian Airlines. Training is due to finish in summer 2027, after which the two pilots should move into scheduled service with Austrian Airlines, with part-time employment for both employers planned from 2028.
The Bundesheer wants to retain know-how and build a reserve pilot pool, while the airline gains a flexible staffing buffer for seasonal demand and shortages. Until now, military pilots could leave after an eight-year minimum commitment and move into civil aviation. The project will be reviewed after its first season, and any broader rollout will depend on that evaluation as well as the 2027 and 2028 milestones.