The budget airline IndiGo announced on Thursday that, as part of its Cadet Pilot Programme, it has teamed up with Garuda Aviation Academy to train new pilots who will eventually become junior first officers.
The 21-month programme consists of three months of ground training at the Garuda Aviation Academy training site in Gurugram and twelve months of training at 43 Air School in South Africa. According to IndiGo, 43 Air School has trained over 6,000 ab-initio pilots in the past.
The airline said that during the previous 13 years, it had established eight of these partnerships and trained over 1,000 pilots through comprehensive programmes that include earning an A320 type rating and a commercial pilot licence.
According to the airline, these courses begin with cadet selection and continue through pilot induction.
“The Garuda Aviation Academy partnership will strengthen our Cadet Pilot Programme.” Captain Ashim Mittra, Senior Vice President for Flight Operations at IndiGo, stated, “We are confident that this 21-month programme will effectively develop the next generation of talented pilots who will continue to uphold IndiGo’s commitment to providing safe, affordable, and hassle-free travel, for everyone.”
Furthermore, he said, this programme perfectly complements the UDAN mission, the federal government’s regional air connectivity programme, strengthening IndiGo’s resolve to connect with smaller and medium-sized towns and cities.
Given that since February of last year, the domestic carriers IndiGo, Air India, and Akasa have bought 1,120 aircraft collectively, there would be a significant demand for pilots in India.
In addition to these orders, Indian ships will soon get new aircraft that they had previously ordered. Only IndiGo has close to 1,000 aircraft on order.
According to CAPA data, India’s commercial airlines are predicted to almost double in size to 1,400 aircraft by the 2029–2030 fiscal year.
According to CAPA, by 2030, the nation will require at least 10,900 more pilots to operate them, or 1,600 new pilots annually.
“We prioritise our pilots’ professional and personal development. This collaboration with Garuda Aviation Academy will give our employees exceptional learning chances and develop their leadership abilities, opening the door for a strong group of leaders inside IndiGo, according to Mittra.