PPL vs CPL vs ATPL: Which Pilot Licence Do You Need?
The world of pilot licences is full of acronyms, and it is easy to get lost. In practice there are three main licences that form a ladder, each building on the last. Here is what PPL, CPL and ATPL actually mean.
PPL — Private Pilot Licence
The PPL is the starting point and the most popular licence. It lets you fly light aircraft privately, carrying passengers, but not for payment. It is ideal for recreational flying, and it is a prerequisite for everything that follows. Training centres on core stick-and-rudder skills, navigation and airmanship.
CPL — Commercial Pilot Licence
The CPL allows you to be paid to fly — the first genuinely professional licence. It demands higher standards of flying precision, more theory, more experience (typically a couple of hundred hours) and a Class 1 medical. CPL holders work as instructors, in aerial survey, banner-towing, charter and similar roles.
ATPL — Airline Transport Pilot Licence
The ATPL is the highest licence and is required to act as captain of a large multi-crew airliner. Full ATPL privileges require substantial flight experience (around 1,500 hours). Many pilots first hold a “frozen ATPL”: they have passed all the ATPL theory exams and hold a CPL with an Instrument Rating, and the licence “unfreezes” once they accumulate the required hours.
Ratings: the add-ons
Licences are supplemented by ratings that grant specific privileges. The most important are the Instrument Rating (IR) — flying in cloud by reference to instruments — and the Multi-Engine Rating. Type ratings qualify you for a specific aircraft, such as an A320 or 737.
The typical career ladder
- PPL — learn to fly
- Hour building + ATPL theory exams
- CPL + Instrument Rating + Multi-Engine Rating (the “frozen ATPL”)
- Airline type rating and first officer role
- Full ATPL and command
Frequently asked questions
Can I skip the PPL?
Integrated airline courses effectively fold PPL-level training into a continuous programme, but you still learn the same foundational skills first.
What is a frozen ATPL?
It means you have passed the ATPL exams and hold a CPL/IR, but need more hours before you can exercise full ATPL (captain) privileges.
New to all this? Start with how to become a pilot, or visit the Becoming a Pilot hub.