The Southwest Airlines Destination 225°Program provides various pathways to provide the opportunity to get you to the right seat of a Southwest aircraft.
The Destination 225° University pathway is designed for collegiate aviators who attend a Southwest partner university or complete a Southwest Campus Reach Internship.
This will differ by Destination 225° pathway and the experience each candidate brings, but the Cadet pathway will take approximately four years for training and flight experience.
Educational requirements for Destination 225° are the same as the educational requirements for a First Officer position at Southwest Airlines. A high school diploma or equivalency is required, and a four-year college degree is preferred.
While a job at Southwest Airlines is not guaranteed, Destination 225° was created to equip participants with the skills needed to start their career as a Southwest First Officer and is designed to build a pipeline of talented Pilots for Southwest. Neither acceptance into nor successfully completing the program guarantees employment or re-employment at Southwest Airlines.
Learn more about the qualifications to become a First Officer at Southwest Airlines.