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    Cadet Pilot Programmes in India: What Airlines Actually Publish

    Written by Flying Star Aviator Academics Team · Last updated

    What is a cadet pilot programme, and what do airlines publish about it?

    A cadet pilot programme selects candidates before training begins and routes them through schools the airline has chosen, ending in a Commercial Pilot Licence. Airlines publish eligibility and structure: IndiGo states an age range of 18 to 32, 10+2 with Physics and Mathematics, a maximum of two attempts per stage, and 22 months from zero flight time. What airlines do not publish is the part candidates most want to know, which is cost, bond and starting pay. This page separates the two.

    Sources: IndiGo, How to become a pilot (airline careers page), retrieved 10 September 2026

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    What one airline publishes, line by line

    Taken from IndiGo's own careers information because it is the most detailed publicly available account. Other carriers publish less. Rows marked not stated are not omissions on our part; the airline does not say.

    ItemWhat the airline statesNote
    Age18 to 32Stated by the airline
    Academic requirement10+2 with Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjectsStated by the airline
    AttemptsA maximum of two attempts per stageStated by the airline
    DurationZero flight time to commercial airbus pilot in 22 monthsStated by the airline
    Ground schoolA four-month ground school stageStated by the airline
    Student pilot licence15 days of training to obtain itStated by the airline
    Training partnersSeven chosen training schoolsNamed? No. The airline states the number, not the schools
    Licence obtainedCommercial Pilot LicenceStated by the airline
    Programme costNot statedCirculates widely; not published by the airline
    Bond or service commitmentNot statedCirculates widely; not published by the airline
    Stipend or starting payNot statedNot published by the airline
    Selection criteria in detailNot statedThe airline describes stages, not scoring

    Four of the twelve rows are unpublished, and they are the four that decide affordability. Any page quoting a cadet programme fee or bond length is quoting something the airline has not said, so ask the airline in writing before treating a number as real.

    Sources: IndiGo, How to become a pilot (airline careers page), retrieved 10 September 2026

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    Cadet programme against self-sponsored training

    Neither route is better in the abstract. They fail in different ways, and the right question is which failure you can absorb.

    Cadet programmeSelf-sponsored
    Who selects youThe airline, before training beginsYou select the school; nobody selects you
    Where you trainA school the airline has chosenAny DGCA-approved FTO you choose
    SequenceSelection, then training, then a defined route into the airlineTraining, then licence, then apply for jobs
    CostNot published by the airlineQuoted to you by the school, component by component
    FlexibilityFixed programme, fixed partnersYou choose, and can change your mind
    If you are not selectedYou are not in the programmeNot applicable; there is no gate to fail

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    What to ask before you apply

    • What is the total cost, in writing, including everything payable to the training school?
    • Is there a bond, for how long, and what does it cost to break?
    • Which of the partner schools would I be sent to, and can I choose?
    • What happens if I fail a stage at the second attempt?
    • Is a job offer conditional, and on what?
    • What did the last intake actually experience, in months from selection to line flying?

    The first two are the ones that change a decision, and they are the two the published pages do not answer.

    One eligibility detail worth checking early

    A cadet programme requiring 10+2 with Physics and Mathematics is stating an airline requirement that matches the DGCA rule for the commercial stream. If you passed 10+2 without those subjects there are routes to correct it, and doing so before applying is far cheaper than discovering the gap at selection.

    A Class 1 medical is the other early gate. It is comparatively inexpensive and it is the step most capable of ending the plan, which is a reason to take it first rather than last. The medical requirements page explains what is assessed.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is a cadet pilot programme?
    A programme that selects candidates before training begins and routes them through schools the airline has chosen, ending in a Commercial Pilot Licence.
    What eligibility do airlines publish?
    IndiGo states an age range of 18 to 32 and 10+2 with Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects, with a maximum of two attempts per stage.
    How long does a cadet programme take?
    IndiGo states 22 months from zero flight time, including a four-month ground school stage and 15 days of training to obtain a student pilot licence.
    What does a cadet programme cost?
    The airline does not publish it. Figures circulate widely and are not stated by the airline, so ask in writing before treating any number as real.
    Is there a bond?
    Bond terms are not published by the airline. That is one of the questions to put in writing before applying.
    Cadet programme or self-sponsored training?
    Neither is better in the abstract. A cadet programme fixes the school and the route but gates you on selection; self-sponsored training gives you the choice and the whole cost.

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