In 2026, pilot salaries at Malaysia Airlines are competitive within Southeast Asia. While not as high as Middle Eastern carriers, the airline offers stable earnings, structured increments, and additional allowances linked to flying hours and international operations.
AirAsia Pilot Salary
First officers at AirAsia earn modest salaries compared to full-service and long-haul airlines, largely due to the airline’s low-cost model and short-haul operations.
AirAsia cabin crew are compensated variably depending on their overall flying hours in a month, experience, and seniority within the carrier.
Singapore Airlines has an academy of cadet pilots but also employs direct entry pilots.
AirAsia X (D7) flight D7506 from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Incheon International Airport (ICN) on 13 August 2025 was unexpectedly diverted to Seoul’s Gimpo International Airport (GMP), arriving more than two hours later than scheduled.
Some of you will raise eyebrows and say AirAsia Group and Qantas Group work on different models, so there is no comparison in pilot salary.