PPL vs CPL vs ATPL
Pilot Licences Explained.
Private, commercial, and airline transport pilot licences carry different privileges, not just different names. This guide explains what each licence actually permits, jurisdiction by jurisdiction.
A licence defines
what a pilot is permitted to do.
PPL, CPL, and ATPL (or ATP) are not simply career milestones — each carries a distinct set of legal privileges around who may act as pilot-in-command (PIC), on what kind of operation, and whether the pilot may be paid for flying. A Private Pilot Licence holder and an Airline Transport Pilot Licence holder are not interchangeable for a commercial private-jet mission, regardless of total flight hours.
Numeric experience thresholds differ by authority and by licence — confirm exact current requirements against the regulator's own published text for the licence and jurisdiction in question.
The same three tiers,
issued differently everywhere.
FAAUnited States — Part 61Certificate System+
Private Pilot Certificate (14 CFR §61.113): may not act as PIC carrying passengers or property for compensation or hire, subject to narrow exceptions (flight incidental to the pilot's business, pro-rata expense sharing, charitable-event flights under §91.146, aircraft-sales demonstration flights, and a small number of others).
Commercial Pilot Certificate (14 CFR §61.133): may act as PIC carrying persons or property for compensation or hire, subject to the operating rules that apply to the specific flight (Part 91, 135, or 121 impose additional requirements beyond the certificate itself).
Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certificate (14 CFR §61.167): carries commercial privileges plus an instrument rating; generally the certificate required to act as PIC for Part 121 operations and for many Part 135 operations involving larger aircraft.
Medical certificate class is tied to certificate type: ATP privileges generally require a first-class medical, commercial privileges a second-class medical, and private privileges a third-class medical (with limited BasicMed exceptions under §61.113(i)) — see 14 CFR §61.23 and Part 67.
EASAEuropean Union — Part-FCLLicence System+
EASA's Part-FCL (Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, Annex I) defines LAPL, PPL, CPL, and ATPL tiers, with each licence's privileges — including whether the holder may be remunerated for flying and under what PIC/co-pilot conditions — set out in the regulation's articles and appendices. Operators and professionals should confirm current hour minimums directly against Part-FCL or official EASA guidance for the licence in question.
GCAAUnited Arab Emirates — CAR-FCLLicence System+
The UAE GCAA licenses pilots under CAR-FCL (Flight Crew Licensing), part of CAR Part II, which establishes private, commercial, and airline transport pilot licence tiers plus type ratings. Exact clause-level privilege language should be confirmed against the current CAR-FCL issue, since GCAA revises its CAR documents periodically.
GACASaudi Arabia — GACAR Part 61Certification System+
GACA licenses pilots (and flight/ground instructors and flight engineers) under GACAR Part 61 — Certification: Pilots, Flight Instructors, Ground Instructors, and Flight Engineers. GACA's structure should not be assumed to mirror EASA's Part-FCL terminology — GACAR uses its own certificate tiers and requirements, which should be confirmed directly against the current GACAR Part 61 text for a specific mission or hiring decision.
UK CAAUnited Kingdom — UK Part-FCLLicence System+
UK CAA's own published material refers to the current instrument as UK Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 (the "UK Aircrew Regulation") and to the licence system itself as UK Part-FCL. Confirm current requirements directly with UK CAA and legislation.gov.uk for a specific mission.
What each licence
actually permits.
Generally permits acting as PIC for personal, non-commercial flying. Cannot be paid to fly passengers or property for compensation or hire, subject to narrow, jurisdiction-specific exceptions.
Permits acting as PIC or SIC for compensation, subject to the additional requirements of the specific operating rule (charter, on-demand, or similar) that governs the flight.
The highest tier. Whether it is required for a PIC role depends on the applicable operating rule, the aircraft, and the operator's own requirements.
Medical, experience,
and operator requirements.
A valid licence is one of several conditions a pilot needs to satisfy for a specific mission. Medical certification (at the class or level appropriate to the licence and operation), experience and recency requirements, and — critically — aircraft-specific qualification, all sit alongside the base licence. An ATPL holder without current type-rating recency on the aircraft in question is not automatically qualified for that mission.
Operators may also apply their own requirements beyond the regulatory minimum — additional hours on type, specific route or airport experience, or internal check-out requirements — none of which are set by EDAERO.
Understanding the framework.
Not replacing it.
EDAERO publishes this orientation to help Operators and Professionals understand the licence systems relevant to Mission staffing. EDAERO is not the FAA, EASA, GCAA, GACA, UK CAA, or a licensing body, and does not issue pilot licences or certify privileges. The Operator remains responsible for confirming the actual legal requirements for a specific Mission.
Common questions.
Can a PPL holder be paid to fly a private jet?+
Is a CPL enough to captain a private jet?+
Do hour requirements for ATPL differ by country?+
Does a licence from one country automatically work in another?+
Primary official sources referenced for this page. Provided for verification; not a substitute for qualified aviation legal advice. Last regulatory review: September 2026.
Sourcing a pilot
for your next mission?
Define the mission and see freelance PIC and SIC pilots matched by licence, type rating, and availability.