Quick answer: Success-based (contingency) recruitment means you pay only when you actually hire a pilot, no retainer and no upfront fee. It shifts sourcing risk off the airline and onto the network, which is why it is increasingly how carriers and ATOs fill ad-hoc, seasonal and hard-to-source gaps in 2026. Retained agencies, by contrast, charge 15–25% of first-year salary whether or not the hire works out.
The three models, compared
| Model | When you pay | Typical cost | Who carries the risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retained agency | Upfront + on placement | 15–25% of salary, paid regardless | The airline |
| Success-based / contingency | Only when you hire | Lower, outcome-linked | The network |
| Internal / job board | Ongoing (time + ads) | Staff time, slow | The airline |
Why success-based fits 2026 hiring
Pilot demand is still elevated but budgets are tighter than the 2019 peak. Airlines want to protect against paying for a search that does not convert. A success-based model aligns cost with outcome: no result, no fee. It also pushes the provider to source pre-vetted candidates fast, because they only earn on a completed hire.
What to check before choosing a model
- Is the candidate pool pre-verified (licence, medical, English, logbook) or just a CV pile?
- How fast can they shortlist, hours, or weeks?
- What exactly triggers the fee, signature, start date, or passing probation?
- Is there a replacement guarantee if a hire falls through early?
FAQ
Is success-based cheaper than a retained agency? Usually yes, because you only pay on a completed hire rather than an upfront retainer.
What is the catch? You need a provider with a genuinely pre-vetted pool; otherwise "contingency" just means a slower CV pile.
▶ See how operators brief a search on the Veejo YouTube channel.
How Veejo helps
Veejo Recruitment is success-based by design: €0 to start a search, pay only when you hire, drawing on a network of 2,000+ verified pilots with licence, medical, English and logbook already on file, so shortlisting happens in hours. See our full breakdown of what recruitment really costs.