Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate
The highest pilot certificate, required to captain an airliner — the 1,500-hour rule and restricted ATP.
The Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate is the highest level of pilot certification and the legal requirement to act as a crew member for a U.S. airline.
Requirements: generally 1,500 hours total time with specific cross-country, night, instrument and PIC requirements, age 23, and completion of the ATP-CTP (Airline Transport Pilot Certification Training Program) before the written exam, then the ATP practical test (usually combined with a type rating). A first-class medical is needed to exercise airline-captain privileges.
Restricted ATP (R-ATP): reduced minimums of 1,000 hours (approved 4-year aviation degree), 1,250 hours (2-year degree) or 750 hours (military pilots) let qualified pilots reach an airline first officer seat sooner.
Privileges: act as pilot in command in air-carrier operations and exercise all lower privileges. The ATP is both a certificate and, in practice, the industry's professional benchmark.
What's next: type ratings on specific airliners, the captain upgrade, and the seniority-driven airline career.
*Reference and training only — verify current ATP and R-ATP rules with the FAA.*