Indigo

[paddy in the east]

First time poster, long time lurker.

Have been contemplating going to Indigo as a TRE. Anyone on here that can provide some info.

What I know is the following:

1) Substantial financial backing
2) Former US Airways management
3) Lots of 320s on order
4) 10 weeks on 3 off (you pay to commute)
5) No interline

Some questions:

1) What's it really like (I've operated in and out of India, just looking for company specifics)?
2) US$1500 or "company provided housing", what's it really like?
3) I assume all the trips are turns and no overnights
4) Is DEL the only crew base and if so, what is the "big picture"?

Thanks in advance for all your help!:bored:

[gangsta]

A flying school called INDIGO. Now recently they have introduced expat F/os. Now everybody think whats wrong. They are here to do 300 hrs line experience as they have just finished off with sim. They'll pay for there trng. No roster in existence. No facilities. So a large order is just too optimistic with such shortage of pilots.

[Eight Ball]

Gangsta,

Are they paying for their line training too ?.... I've seen their website and said that it is a proper employment. Can you confirm ?

Sorry Paddy, don't mean to hijack the thread.

Thanks

[paddy in the east]

A flying school called INDIGO. Now recently they have introduced expat F/os. Now everybody think whats wrong. They are here to do 300 hrs line experience as they have just finished off with sim. They'll pay for there trng. No roster in existence. No facilities. So a large order is just too optimistic with such shortage of pilots.

No this is a 320 operator with 9 aircraft in their fleet now and another 91 on order. It's based in DEL and they are looking for 320 TRI/TRE or Captains. No F/Os.

Anyone with any info?????

Thanks

[SkyMiles]

Wow, the man just answered your question and you blew him off. He is talking about Indigo Airlines in India, the very same company you want to go work for. What he says is true. There are so many posts about India and everyone insists on asking for more information. Spend some money, fly there, have a look around, and make your own judgement.

:ugh:

[paddy in the east]

SkyMiles,

Thanks for your insight and thought provoking answer. If you read my poost you will see I am not a non-type rated FO looking for training. So the previous poster's answer really didn't apply.

As for going there, what will that accomplish. I operate into MAA, BOM, CCU, BLR, DEL on a regular basis. What I am looking for is someone who's already there.

Perhaps next time if you don't have anything to say, you will just let the response go. Or go back and re-read the post at least before you try to give a smug answer.

:ugh:

[hpcock]

Paddy

Check your PM's

[gangsta]

ITs not new that airline try to earn from pilots.. one pay for rating etc. but in todays scene indigo is experimenting.. check www.cae.com/cts/indigo (http://www.cae.com/cts/indigo)

[paddy in the east]

ITs not new that airline try to earn from pilots.. one pay for rating etc. but in todays scene indigo is experimenting.. check www.cae.com/cts/indigo (http://www.cae.com/cts/indigo)

Gangsta,

Once again thank you for your post. However, I was asking for my specific situation, please re-read my first post, as a type rated captain, 3000+ PIC on type and a contract already in hand.

What I am trying to get is the perception of other pilots who are already there who are in a similar situation. My contract doesn't call for PFT or anything like that. I am fully aware of the CAE effort not only at Indigo but at other airlines to be the one stop site for pilots.....

[elfransa]

hi guys

i was contacted by indigo via email, and was told that i need to have a min of 500hrs TT and an A320 type rating, to consider my application.

i dont know if that helps anybody here
Franco

[elfransa]

well the guy did not mention multi..all he said was 500tt and type rating

but you know it's very risky paying for that type rating without having a job guarantee.

it is very hard to get that first job

[Panther06]

I am also considering Indigo as an A320 DEC. Rakesh Gangwahl, formerly with US Airways, is in senior management. The terms and conditions of employment are posted on flightglobal.com and several other web sites. I would appreciate you sharing any information you receive and I will be happy to reciprocate. The crew base is Gurgaon (not positive of spelling) which is a suburb of New Delhi. New Delhi is very hot in the summer and gets pretty cold in the winter.

[RMP2]

two friends of mine have more than 1000 hrs TT + the A320 rating...airlines in India ask them hours on type (which they don't have)...so don't believe because you pay for a rating you will get the job. On the other hand I have the A320 rating and I am presently flying with about 300 hrs on type (900 hrs TT), but now the same airlines ask me to contact themonce I reach the 500 hours on type....

[Anonymus6]

RMP2,
Abviously your friends don't know how to look for jobs. Few agencies are hiring with low time and TR. I'm not going to mention any, because I don't trust agencies.

Anyway change the subject a little bit, I remeber when the DGCA open the FO doors for forigners in October or Novemeber last year, the indian carriers required 1500tt and 500 on type for expad FO. It seems that they are having problems to find pilots with that time to fly in India. 6-7 months later the minimums are just getting lower and lower.

A close relative of mine works for Boeing and he e-mailed me this: TAKE YOUR TIME AND READ IT. VERY INTERSTING.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/313681_pilotshortage30.html?source=mypi

[eramusbdraggin]

Let me clear the air on the IndiGo line training confusion.
Indigo requires an experience of 300hrs on type for a line released FO.
For dudes that do not have it they have a Second Officer scheme.As a SO you fly with a line check pilot only for upto 300 hours. Now if you are good and capable then you can get released before 300 hrs as FO. THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR LINE TRAINING. Indigo pays you as a SO about 50% of an FO's salary which is USD 5600 NET OF TAX. both SOs and FOs get a USD1000/ accommadation allowance if they choose to live on their own and not accept IndiGo provided accommadation.
Besides the above IndiGo has a constituted crew scheme (CCS) with Storm( UK) and Jetways(France). Under this it is supplied with a crew set of a TRI and cadet.At 300 hours the cadet is line checked and if found suitable is Offered a job as FO. upto Cadet to accept or reject.IndiGO only pays the TRI and not the cadet but does not charge the cadet for the line training. Its the guys providing the CCS that do:=

[viking320]

anyone can anyone tell what is the real truth
which are the companies who have a contract?
what is the hour requirements? is it 1000 hrs or 500 hrs ME or100hrs on A320.
has anyone done this program with say BOND,SIMCop,ICP,STORM,CAE
can anyone give an honest truthful situation?
please remember everyone is not born with a golden spoon in the hands.
it would greatly help if someone could write the actual truth
thankyou

[a320_richie]

I can confirm the above: Do NOT go with BOND (orlando, fl)!!!


They (or should I say: He) has no contacts what so ever with any airbus operator. Indigo is doing simulator training in Miami via SimCenter, but I'm not sure if a non-indian has any chances.

I am still waiting for my own paperwork to return from the Indian DGCA which should take 6 to 8 weeks, and I sent it in in June... still waiting!! Its a bull**** company if you ask me

whatever you do: stay away from Bond Aviation Services in Orlando

[nicholasblonde]

If you read all the disparate threads on this website, and compile all the information on the internet about IndiGo, you will come to realize the following consistent facts embedded within all the rumours...check CAE and ICPilot's IndiGo program websites...they list these exact reqs:

1) To be an SO (non-line released) you have to apply w/ 500 ME, or 1000TT, or 100 on type AND have the type rating complete. After being an SO for 300 hrs at IndiGo, you become "line released" and get FO pay.

NOTE: According to numerous posts in other threads, there are tons of SOs from the Simcenter/ICPilot and CAE programs who have been waiting for line training while their type ratings dwindle into expiry. I have not been able to locate ONE person who has a SO contract who has actually started their line training. If anyone out there HAS in fact started the SO program (and not just signed a piece of paper with the company...i.e. look at Jet + Randhem) please let us know! This might be because as an SO you have to fly your legs with a TRI/TRE...and there is a huge shortage of TRIs/TREs worldwide.

2) To be a line-released FO, you need 300 hrs on type. This is the only category of applicant who seems to actually be flying and getting paid. There are actually FOs flying with IndiGo. As said above, we have no contact with any SO who is actually building their 300 hours. I've looked and called about 20 people trying to figure it out.

3) DGCA requirements to have your license validated are 1000 hrs TT, or 500 ME, or 100 on type...as stated above as the mins for IndiGo SO slots. No matter what anyone tells you, you can't legally get your JAR/FAA licenses validated by DGCA unless you have the above!

4) There are plenty of Indian pilots I have spoken to who believe IndiGo might be bought out within the year. Not sure what basis these rumours have, but I know an experienced A320 driver who opted not to go b/c he believes they'll be bought out before all those planes even arrive.

5) Everything else sounds good about the company...just remember, there are plenty of SOs ahead of you...and the company might not be there by the time you get called up...so you're paying a lot of money for a spot at the back of the queue.

[paddy in the east]

After having been at Indigo for a few months, I might be able to shed some light on the inner workings.

First of all, compared to other carriers in India, I feel Indigo is head and shoulders above the rest. More importantly, everyone (the company) has lived up to their side of the agreement and better yet the pay has been on time.

Being a DEC here I don't get involved with the SO side of things. However, people are alleuding to or simply stating there are no SO that have completed their training. That might be technically true, but there are a few who are coming up to the end of their 300 hours and they have been offered FO positions at Indigo.

I know the company isn't too happy with the CAE program and will most likely ditch that. There is another program soon to be annouced that invilves a Brussels based company providing the training.

There are Storm Cadets here who seem to be plodding through the training, but they only fly with Storm TRIs so again, I would have nothing to do with them.

As far as the 6 local FO resigning, they did. However, what people haven't written is they also pulled them a few days later.....

Is Indigo perfect????? Not by any means. Rostering tends to run on a day to day basis, although My last month followed my roster without any disruptions at all. The staff is spread a little thin meaning they're trying to do 20 things instead of the normal 10 things. But we keep getting people joining from all the other Indian airlines, so they must be doing something correct.

[dartagnan]

dont know what is this crap, got this, and they ask me money for line training:


For FIRST OFFICERS

The cycle available for First Officers is 48 weeks on / 4 weeks off.

The monthly fees in USD (net of taxes) for up to 80 block hours per month are as follows depending on number of hours on type:



Hours on type

0 - 300
301 - 500
> 500

Fees

1,500
2,500
3,500


Block hours worked over 80 block hours per month are paid at the rate of 1/80th of the monthly fees.

AAS will charge First Officer with zero hours on type a fee for line training of 12,000 USD

[ctrabanino]

i been flying as first officer type rated on A 319/320/321 for the last 7 years, i have about 4000hrs on air bus family 320.
that i would like to know, is about the process to get the up grade to PIC, how long is going to get?
Indigo airline is really given this up grade's for first officers with experinece?
thanks for your time.

[Hardeep]

Attn ALL Pilots wanting to go to INDIA:

I have been to India on several occasions in search of a job since 2003. My last visit I went to ALL airlines and met with HR and Chief Pilots. I took my resume and added an A320/B737 Type Rating (depending on which airline i was going to) just to see what they would say.

Here's what happened:

SpiceJet - Dont bother. They are full of lies. They told me to get my B737 type rating and they would hire me. 6 months later I went back and wrote B737 Type Rating on my resume, they said "oh, we'll let you know". I'm still waiting for the call. Repeated attemps to call them have not worked.

IndiGo - For all you wanting to join IndiGo, CAREFUL! They were so rude to me in Delhi. THEY LACK CHECK AIRMEN! (INSTRUCTOR CAPTAINS) So it may be up to 6 months before you can actually fly the actual aircraft. By then your type will be invalid! Someone in IndiGo seems to be profiting off of SimCentre. I smell corruption! Ask SimCentre if IndiGo has sufficent Check Airmen. Im sure they will avoid the question.

KingFisher - Same as SpiceJet. Waiting for the call.

Jet Airways - Very nice people. But they want 100 hours time in type due to past bad experiences. Nice job guys, it only takes 1 idiot to ruin it for us all.

Air India - Very nice people. If you can get past security in Santa Cruz. Same as Jet. They want 100 hours time in type.

GoAir - Also very nice people. They WILL hire you! This is the only airline I actually felt I had a chance with.

Just so you know. I have over 2500 Hours with 2000+ Multi and near 2000 JET! If they brushed me off, imagine a 250 hour pilot!

Don't mean to discourage anyone. Im just telling you my experience. If you have an inside connection. Im sure you'll be ok.

In conclusion - India is lacking CAPTAINS not FIRST OFFICERS !!!

GOOD LUCK TOO ALL!!!

[PosClimb]

What ever happened to the great "pilot shortage"?

[masalama]

finally a clearer picture of the situation in India, thanks hardeep.
But not too sure about the need to fib on the CV , what do you do when they call u?
Also, a recent article doing the rounds of papers....
http://http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Now_airlines_to_go_slow_on_expat_pilots/articleshow/2399831.cms
shows what the airlines in india plan to do with expats....a little ambitious me thinks.Neways, the current situation is a demand for captains , I know of friends,Indian nationals with CPL's not getting jobs for the last 6 months, they're getting interviews but airlines have started getting picky ....

Also DGCA has asked the airlines to submit plans for training Indian nationals when they apply for clearance to hire an expat....
Take care and fly safe...:ok:

[Hardeep]

"Pilot Shortage" NO "Captain Shortage" YES

Recently my friend wrote is exams and interviewed at KingFisher. Out off 225 they hired only 7. Most guy were from the U.S.A 1000+ Hours. Mainly CFI's of Indian Backround.

Sorry for the fake CV. But if airlines screw with us. Why cant we screw with them. I hope my experience and info saves some of you guys a trip to India as well as 1000's of dollars!!!

-Those of you thinking to buy your type rating... If you do not have your ATPL you will still need to pass written/oral/phycometric/medical exams. What if you fail those? (Food for thought)

[vinayak]

do you know that do we need to get the TR from cae itself to get in here or if i take a type rating from somewhere else will it be fine?

[Texasjatt]

Hardeep,

Pm me, so what does the future look like in india for 260 tt multiengine IR rating pilot.I am not interested in airlines but flying charter and have 30 hrs on KingAir ?Nee.Need an honest opinion.Thanks

[bettigio]

I've just got a call from Indigo (sent my CV trough contractair i think) and I only have 800 TT with 300 hrs on the A320.
Any good news?

[Pardes]

I don't know why anyone wastes there time with India. Does anyone realize that there are soooo many pilots with 1000's of hours flocking to India for job's and have been rejected. And for what reason? If India needs 400+ pilots a years and can only produce 100 should they not take these pilots with open arms? Mind you the majority of these pilots are Indian's with P.I.O cards. I too have looked at India and have been disappointed. My own country rejecting me with 3000+ hours, mostly jet. Yet they hire Expats and complain about the salaries they pay them.

I also have friends at a China based A320 airline with 1000's of hours in type who have been rejected by King Fisher, Indigo and Deccan for no apparent reason.

[asvsu]

DGCA,India has sought for strategy from all airlines in india to phase out expatraite pilots in phased manner.. there will be demand for experinenced captains , Instructors and examiners for few more years..250TT cpl's cannt replce all existing expats captains..it will take some more years..but already lot of Indian CPL holders in market without job..Indigo has contract with some simulator centers for FO program..but Indigo cannot give line training as promised by these agencies..due to insufficient of Trainers and also its impossible to accomodate all..one thing for sure, whether its Indigo or any other airline..they will give preference for Indian nationals..so other national prospective A320 Fos..think twice before investing money for line training with these agencies ( for Indigo or any other airlines in INDIA)..There will be always demand for expat trainers ( TRE /TRI) in india ..for expat captains few more years ...not for FO..
But one thing its good business for STROM, CAE, SIMcen etc...

[AB8TOR]

:=:=:= Wouldn't recommend this carrier. Too much Indian Sabotage and Mis-management. DO is loose cannon. Meanwhile, Dir. of Training and Chief Pilot are leaving. 3 CP's in 18 months. Hmmm? Wonder why?

Yes, they provide housing or provide $1050usd per month if you share with another pilot. +40% of flights are overnights. Delhi + Bangalore are bases. TDY to Mumbai, Jaipur, Kolkata.

Too many scheduling issues. No schedule bidding, trips are assigned, too much deadhead trips - without pay. Pilot pay is frequently short on over-time hours above 80 hrs. Pay on scheduled block not actual:uhoh:.

TRE's should be able to find the best positions. This is no where near it. :ugh: Go somewhere else :ok: .

[CAPT_VMO/MMO]

I just completed a type rating on the A320. I had been promised a spot as an F/O for 100 then upgrading to the left seat. As my good fortune has continued, The DGCA came up with a new ruling stating they will not hire anymore expat F/O. So, then I got an email from Indigo stating that I would be starting in the left seat as a captain with 100 OE. After completing my A320 type rating and turning in the rest of my paperwork Indigo. I receive d another email that I would not be hired because the transition for expats to the A320 was suspended. Anybody have any good ideas for employment on the A320. I have plenty of PIC time and currently working as a TRI (Internationally) on a different aircraft. :ugh:

[AB8TOR]

Consider looking :ooh: at Tiger in Singapore. Trouble is it is not commutable:{ Many good jobs are no longer vacant:*

I have heard many good things :D about Viet Nam. Also, maybe time to consider the A330 CCQ program.

Good Luck :ok: