(407) 777-0111
Simulator Center Training
A330 vs 767 Type Rating: Which One to Train For
Blog

A330 vs 767 Type Rating: Which One to Train For

October 19, 2026

A330 vs 767 Type Rating: Which One to Train For

A330 and 767 parked side by side

The A330 and the Boeing 767 are both twin-aisle, long-haul twins, but in the FAA’s eyes they are two completely separate type ratings, and neither one prepares you for the other. The right choice is the one tied to a real employer, vacancy or fleet plan, not the one that sounds more impressive on a résumé. This guide compares the two ratings on the points that decide the outcome: how the FAA designates them, how the cockpits and aircraft differ, what each rating means across regulators, and how to choose.

Simulatorcentertraining
Choose a Type Rating That Fits
Simulator Center offers A320 and B737 type rating programs, plus FAA license conversions, for pilots planning their next career step.
Explore pilot training

TL;DR

  • The FAA issues an A-330 rating for the A330 and a B-767 rating for the 767. They are not interchangeable, and an A330 rating gives you no Boeing privileges.
  • The B-767 rating is not a Boeing-only dead end: the 757 and 767 share one FAA type-rating designation, so one course can open both aircraft.
  • The A330 has the larger global operator base. The 767 stays relevant in cargo and specialist operations. Match the rating to a documented employer pathway.
  • Foreign pilots should not assume a type rating converts between regulators. Check what the FAA, or your own authority, will actually recognize before you enroll.
  • Ask any school which certificate endorsement you receive, which variants it covers, and whether an airline-specific differences course is still needed.

Table of Contents

What the FAA actually requires for each aircraft

Under 14 CFR 61.31, a pilot acting as pilot in command of a large aircraft or a turbojet airplane must hold a type rating for that aircraft. Both the A330 and the 767 fall under that rule, so each needs its own type qualification for FAA operations.

The designations are specific:

The same FAA material separates the A320 and A330 as different type certificates, so an A320 rating does not turn into an A330 rating. If you hold an A320 type rating and want widebody work, you are starting a new course, not adding a short add-on.

The 757/767 pairing

The FAA type-rating registry lists the B757 and B767 under a shared B-757/B-767 designation. In practice, one rating can cover a narrowbody and a widebody. The A330 has no equivalent sibling in the same designation. Our own 757 vs 767 mission guide explains how the two aircraft are used differently.

There is a catch. Sharing a rating does not mean an airline will skip training. FAA guidance on Part 121 training programs gives the B757/B767 as an example of aircraft with different type certificates. It says an airline that wants related-aircraft differences-training credit needs an approved related-aircraft designation or deviation. That is an airline program matter, but it means “these types are basically the same” is never a substitute for the operator’s own approved training and checking.

The aircraft side by side

You do not choose a type rating on aircraft statistics, but the differences explain why the training feels different.

Point Airbus A330 Boeing 767
FAA type designation A-330 B-767 (shared with B-757)
Variants under the rating A330-200, -200F, -300, -900 767-200, -300, -300F, -400ER, -2C
Size Larger twin-aisle: Airbus lists 250 to 290 seats in three classes, 6,350 nm range, 33 LD3 positions and 242 tonnes MTOW for the -300 Shorter twin-aisle: Boeing’s airport planning document describes the -300 fuselage as 21 ft 1 in longer than the -200
Flight deck philosophy Integrated, digital, fly-by-wire More traditional, conventional controls
Typical employer profile Passenger and cargo airlines worldwide Cargo carriers and specialist operators, plus some passenger fleets

The flight-deck row is the one pilots feel most. The A330 follows Airbus’s integrated approach, which an A320-family pilot will find familiar in logic. The 767 has a more traditional feel, closer to classic Boeing habits. Neither is simply harder. They ask different things of you: protections and mode awareness on the Airbus, and more manual management on the Boeing.

The size difference matters for performance planning, dispatch, fuel and long-haul procedures. Those topics take up real time in a type course, but they do not change the legal fact that each aircraft needs its own qualification.

Variants: what one rating really covers

Each rating spans multiple variants, and this is where schools differ.

On the 767 side, EASA’s operational evaluation report for the 757/767 recommends a single license endorsement for both aircraft. It also finds only Level A differences between the 767-300 and the 767-300F. In plain terms, a 767 pilot moving between variants may need targeted familiarization instead of a new course.

On the A330 side, variants still need differences training under the FAA material above. A pilot who trained on an A330-200 should confirm how an operator treats the -300, and how it treats the newer -900.

Before you pay for any course, ask:

  1. Which exact certificate endorsement will I receive?
  2. Which variants does the training cover?
  3. Does the airline I am targeting still require its own differences course?
  4. What is the approval and checking outcome, not just the number of simulator hours?

That last question is the one the FAA’s evaluation approach points to. Simulator time in motion matters less than whether the training is built on approved differences tables and ends in an evaluation that your employer or regulator accepts.

Regulators do not treat ratings as portable

Pilots from outside the United States often hope that a rating earned under one authority will simply be recognized under another. It usually does not work that way.

EASA’s licensing implementation procedures state that type ratings cannot currently be converted under the EU-U.S. agreement. The agreement covers specified private-pilot and instrument-rating pathways, and expressly excludes type ratings.

EASA’s endorsement list also groups the A330 with the A350 in one family, and the B757 with the B767 in another. A shared listing does not mean the aircraft are interchangeable, and it does not mean the endorsement carries over to the FAA.

EASA aircraft families and FAA conversion boundary

So if you are a foreign pilot aiming at an FAA-regulated employer, verify certificate validation, knowledge tests, medical, ATP and checkride requirements with the FAA or an authorized provider before enrolling. Your licensing authority and your intended employer decide what privileges you hold at the end, not the brand of the simulator. Our guides to converting an FAA license to an EASA license and to ICAO to FAA license conversion walk through the route in more detail.

Which rating fits which career

Aircraft prestige is a poor guide. Fleet strategy is a better one.

Airbus’s July 2024 facts and figures report 1,467 A330-family aircraft in service with an average age of about 12 years. The same sheet positions newer A330 variants as replacements for aging 767 fleets. That points to a broad, long-lived operator base for the A330 across passenger and freighter flying.

Fleet size alone does not create jobs, though. Global fleet figures say nothing about whether a given airline is hiring this year. Compare current vacancies, sponsored training offers and published fleet plans.

A practical way to decide:

  • You hold an A320 rating and want widebody long-haul with a passenger or cargo airline: the A330 is the natural step. Cockpit philosophy carries over, even though the rating does not. Our A320 vs B737 comparison covers the narrowbody decision that often comes first.
  • You are aiming at a cargo operator or a specialist fleet that flies 767s: the B-767 rating, which also opens the 757, may be the more direct route.
  • You have no employer pathway yet: do not buy a widebody rating speculatively. Start with what an airline will actually ask for, and whether it sponsors the course.
  • You fly Boeing narrowbodies already: check whether the 757/767 offers a smoother transition than moving to an Airbus.

Even the best-fitting rating is not a job offer. Treat it as a qualification that makes an application credible, not as the application itself.

Our perspective

We see the same mistake again and again: a pilot picks a type by comparing aircraft instead of comparing outcomes. Cockpit forums argue about which airplane is nicer to fly. That argument does not tell you what your employer will accept.

Our view is simple. Start from the vacancy, then work backwards. Find the operator, read what it requires, and confirm whether it expects a full type rating, a differences course or its own in-house program. Only then choose the aircraft.

What we focus on is delivering the training in Level D full-motion simulators, with instruction from current and former airline pilots and examiners. We also manage scheduling, documentation and checkride coordination inside one program, so a pilot is not chasing three different parties across time zones. Whichever aircraft you pick, the course should leave you ready for an airline assessment and not only holding a certificate.

One more honest point: we will not tell you the A330 is better than the 767, or the reverse. They answer different career questions. If your goal is unclear, talk to admissions before you commit.

— Jake

Training for either rating with us

If you have chosen your aircraft, the next step is concrete.

You can see the whole range of ratings on our type rating overview.

Mistakes to avoid before you enroll

Assuming one rating covers everything. An A330 rating does not cover the 767, and neither covers an A320. Even within one family, variants can require differences training.

Treating “family commonality” as a promise. Whether credit is given for related aircraft is decided by the airline’s approved program, not by a training provider’s marketing.

Skipping the regulator check. A rating from one authority may not be recognized by another. Confirm with the authority, not with a sales page. Our primer on when a type rating is required is a good place to start.

Buying hours instead of an outcome. Ask what checking or evaluation ends the course, and who conducts it.

Ignoring the ATP step. Many pilots coming from other systems need to satisfy the ATP-CTP requirement as part of an FAA pathway. Our ATP-CTP course covers it.

FAQ

Is an A330 type rating harder than a 767 type rating?

Neither is simply harder. The A330 uses an integrated, digital Airbus flight deck, while the 767 has a more traditional feel. Pilots usually find the one closer to their previous aircraft easier to start, and the other asks for more adjustment.

Can I fly the 757 with a 767 type rating?

Under the FAA, the B757 and B767 share one type-rating designation, so a single B-757/B-767 rating covers both. Your employer may still require its own differences or familiarization training, because related-aircraft credit depends on the airline’s approved program.

Does an A320 type rating count toward the A330?

No. The FAA treats the A320 and A330 as different type certificates, so you need a separate A-330 rating. Familiarity with Airbus logic helps you learn faster, but it does not replace the rating.

Will my EASA type rating convert to an FAA rating automatically?

No. EASA’s implementation procedures say type ratings cannot currently be converted under the EU-U.S. licensing agreement. Check certificate validation, tests, medical and checkride requirements with the FAA or an authorized provider before you enroll.

Sources

Apply Now Back to the blog