Becoming an airline pilot is the dream of many youths today. After all, the job of an airline pilot brings in lucrative income sources, adventure, and also the opportunity to travel and see the world. However, the job comes with immense responsibilities and requires qualified professionals who have aced the cadet pilot programs from the best aviation institutes in India.  

To start your career in the aviation industry, one needs to get a commercial pilot licence from a reputed flying school in India that is under the operational approval of the DGCA.  

However, even with getting a commercial pilot licence, there was a shortage of airline pilots as there were not many aviation schools offering cadet programs in India. 

To overcome this gap in the aviation industry, both airline companies and flying institutes started offering cadet pilot programmes in India. This became the golden ticket to gaining employment in reputed airline companies as a pilot. 

Let us look at the best cadet pilot programmes offered in India : 

Hercules Aviation Training School 

Hercules Aviation Training School is one of the renowned flying schools located in Hyderabad to understand the gap in the aviation industry of airline companies having a shortage of pilots. Committed to excellent training of pilots and ensuring their robust career growth, the institute started one of a kind integrated cadet pilot programme in India.  

In this programme, only twenty meritorious students are handpicked by the academy for the cadet pilot program

With three years, they complete their CPL training and get their ATPL with at least 2000 hours of flying.   Candidates can also enroll in an undergraduate course during their training period. The programme also gives aspiring pilots to earn by providing them with internship offers.

At the end of the three years, the fees charged for CPL training are also refunded to the students.  .  

Golden Epaulettes Aviation 

Golden Epaulettes Aviation also offers a cadet pilot programme in collaboration with Indigo, Air Arabia, and SpiceJet airlines. The institute has a thorough and rigorous CPP training curriculum for candidates who dream and persist to become airline pilots.  

The students can also pursue either a degree or a diploma during their cadet pilot programme.  

The institute also offers candidates the earning opportunity from the first day of training.  

In the academy’s cadet pilot programme, international exposure is provided for a better experience of a controlled aerodrome.  

The programme comes with job assurance. The institute devotes all its resources to preparing the candidates for their group discussions and HR interviews and developing soft skills such as leadership and team-building qualities to ace a career as qualified airline pilots. 

Financial assistance for getting educational loans is also provided at the Golden Epaulettes Aviation. 

SpiceJet  

The SpiceStar Academy has become the ideal launchpad for those candidates who want to push their careers to the sky.  

Spicejet currently is processing 200 orders of aircraft. Its regional connectivity scheme is expanding rapidly. Hence, the airline needs qualified pilots to be present in the cockpit.  

The programme has a transparent and scientifically designed selection method for Indian and Overseas Indian Citizens.  

Indigo Airlines 

Indigo was the first airline that started a cadet pilot programme in India. 

The programme started in 2012 to fulfil their dreams of flying high in the sky. In the beginning, the programme started with one flight school, and now it has expanded to the top seven flight schools all over the world.

The candidates need to have cleared 12th-grade examinations with good marks in physics, maths, and chemistry to be selected.  

They also need to have good proficiency in English, along with getting class 1 grading in fitness and medical test as prescribed by the DGCA. 

The A CASS(CAE aircrew selection system) or PILAPT examination is conducted to test psychomotor skills and hand-eye coordination. 

The entire course needs to be completed in 20 months. And admission fees are Rs 85 lakhs. 

Air Asia 

Air Asia is one of the lowest cost carriers operating in India that started a cadet pilot programme in 2019.   

They also need to have good proficiency in English, along with getting class 1 grading in fitness and medical test as prescribed by the DGCA. 

The final phase of the selection process includes a group discussion and a final interview.  

After the candidates complete their training, they can join the airline as second officers.

With the help of these cadet pilot programs conducted by India’s top airline. Aspirants can ace their careers as airline pilots.

These are the best cadet pilot programmes in the country by partnering with top airline companies so that aspiring candidates get the best industry exposure and become employable in the airline of their choice