Definition
Pilots holding an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, the highest level of pilot certification issued by the FAA. ATP certification is required to act as pilot-in-command of scheduled airline operations and certain other commercial flights, and holders must meet stricter age, experience, knowledge, and medical standards than other pilot certificates.
Plain English
Pilots who hold the top-level FAA pilot license — the one needed to captain airline flights. To earn it, a pilot must meet higher experience and medical requirements than for any other pilot certificate.
Context Anchor
Seen in medical-certificate discussions because airline transport pilots must meet the medical certificate requirements tied to using airline transport pilot privileges.
Why Pilots Care
This certificate level requires a first-class medical certificate, directly affecting eligibility to fly for airlines.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as simply “a pilot who works around airlines.” In FAA use, it means a pilot who holds the specific airline transport pilot certificate and is using, or eligible to use, those certificate privileges.
Example Sentence 1
Airline transport pilots acting as pilot-in-command in scheduled airline operations are required to hold a First-Class medical certificate.
Example Sentence 2
Many airline transport pilots began as private pilots before advancing through commercial training.