Indigo Cadet Pilot Programme

IndiGo Cadet Pilot Programme caters to the growing need for skilled and professional pilots. After undergoing the training sessions, gaining the theoretical knowledge and getting the various licences under this programme the cadet is eligible to join the IndiGo Airlines as Junior Flight Officer.

IndiGo Cadet Pilot Programme was introduced by the IndiGo Airlines in a joint venture with the Canadian Aviation Electronics (CAE). It is a self-sponsored program in which candidates sign a letter of intent (LOI) with IndiGo airlines and joins as a Junior Flight Officer after successful completion of the pilot training. 

CAE is one of the leading training institutes with the largest civil aviation network in the world. This program has been proposed to cater to the growing needs of professionally skilled pilots.  They offer a range of programmes which include international pathways and domestic pathways. This training program enables you to train for the Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) with an Airbus A320 aircraft.

The cadets study the premier ground school courses with high-quality training instructions in the flight training institutes. This programme trains the aspiring airline pilots in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) standards. The cadets get Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) with an Instrument Rating (IR) and Multi Engine Rating (ME).

Flight Training Adelaide (FTA) also has a joint venture with the IndiGo and they also offer the IndiGo Cadet Pilot Programme. FTA is also a famous training provider for various famous airlines which includes Cathay Dragon, Vietnam Airlines, Hong Kong Government Flying Service, and TAG Aviation.

Courses in IndiGo Cadet Pilot Programme

There are majorly two types of courses offered in this programme - International Pathway and IndiGo Cadet Pilot Programme - Domestic Pathway. These are self-sponsored programmes.

In the International Pathway Programme, the Pilot training will be conducted at two CAE’s academies in USA and India. In the USA, the training will take place in the CAE academy of Phoenix and in India it will be done in the CAE Gondia which is also known as the National Flying Training Institute (NFTI). It is a joint venture of CAE and Airport Authority of India (AAI).  

In the Flight Training Adelaide (FTA) IndiGo Cadet Pilot Programme there are four phases. For two phases, students have to travel to Adelaide and the remaining two phases can be completed in India. 

Eligibility criteria for these courses

The eligibility criteria for the IndiGo Cadet Pilot Programme is that the minimum age of the cadet should be 18 years on the last date of the application of Phase 1 and the maximum age can be 32 years. 

The minimum qualification for the course is 10 + 2 pass with minimum 51% marks or 6 Grade Point or C1 Grade individually in each Physics, Mathematics, and English. They also accept the candidature of the students who have done their higher degree with 51% marks in Mathematics and English. 

Engineering students can also apply for the course and for them, minimum of 51% criterion in 10+2 can be overlooked except in English. The candidates must be in possession of a valid passport.

The medical certificate of Class 2 in possession of DGCA is a compulsory requirement for the admission in the pilot training course. 

If some candidate is being rejected for any IndiGo Cadet Programme then the cadet can apply only after a period of 3 months.

Course Duration and Fees

The course duration of the CPL training is 17 months which comprises theoretical course work, and flight training. Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) and Type Rating (TR) takes 2.5 months to complete. CAE considers 2 to 3 months for the DGCA licensing, scheduling, cadet performances and other delays, after the completion of the training. The fees for the IndiGo Cadet Pilot Programmes range from 80 Lac to 1 Crore, depends on the type of the course such as International Pathway and Domestic Pathway programme.

This fee includes the food, accommodation, and course briefing during the training of CPL, MEIR, and UPRT. The DGCA exam fees, travel, visa, Medical Certificates, and other license charges are not included in the course fee.

Syllabus

The syllabus of the courses varies as per the type of the cadet Pilot Programme. In the IndiGo Cadet Pilot Programme - International Pathway, there are two phases of training while in the IndiGo Cadet Pilot Programme - Domestic Pathway, there are three phases of training. These courses are meticulously crafted programmes for the students who don’t have any experience in the field of aviation and have no previous flying experience. 

The two phases of the IndiGo Cadet Pilot Programme - International Pathway are:

In the IndiGo Cadet Pilot Programme - Domestic Pathway, the training will take place in the Gondia, India. The three phases of this programme are:

Career/Scope

IndiGo Cadet Pilot Programme caters to the growing need of skilled and professional pilots. After undergoing the training sessions, gaining the theoretical knowledge and getting the various licences under this programme the cadet is eligible to join the IndiGo Airlines as Junior Flight Officer.

During the commencement of the training period, the cadet signs a Letter of Intent with the airline and joins as the pilot. After the Type Rating (TR), the cadet obtains a license of a co-pilot on the Airbus A320.

Roles and Salaries Offered

There are several roles cadets can get during and after the IndiGo Cadet Pilot Programme. During the CPL training, the stipend of the cadet is 15k while during the Type Rating (TR) training period, the stipend increases to 25k.

After the completion of the training, the cadet joins the airlines as a Junior Flight Officer and the salary of the JFO is 1 to 1.5 Lac per month. With time and experience, the JFO gets promoted to Flight Officer and the salary increases to 2.5 Lac per month. The salary of the Senior Flight Officer is almost 3.7 Lac. For Captain, 6 Lac per month and for Senior Captain it is 6.3 Lac per month.