What are your reviews on their cadet program ?

If you like wasting 4 times the money and don't feel that you're smart enough to compete with others once you get your licence then it's good.

If you're actually smart then no it's not worth it.

But I've seen all my friends sitting at home for 1-5 years after getting CPL.

Plus Indigo has almost stopped hiring Rated pilots for A320 and Jet will also stop for 737 when they will start receiving trained cadets.

See the original point, then they aren't smart. Everyone I've seen who is actually knowledgeable and didn't just memorize items to pass tests have been hired within the first 6 months at spicejet, indigo, air asia, and vistara.

The one's who have been waiting more than a year are usually the less than average ones and they're the one's always complaining that there aren't enough openings.

See guys, @Bored_Aviator and @hitansh; I can hopefully clarify your doubts regarding this topic.

I have been researching for almost 2 years on the same question. Let me start by giving you 3 suggestions.

1) Nothing is guaranteed in the aviation industry.

2) Flying is an expensive profession.

3) Money spent on education isn't money wasted (atleast in the usual situations).

Long answer short, I've learned, "The cadet pilot programs are the easiest way to become a pilot in India"


1) Yes, they set you back around 90-95 lakhs whereas a traditional CPL+ MEIR + Type Rating + miscellaneous would cost you around 70 lakhs. But you will have to, after your training sit and compete with 1000's aspiring pilots like yourself for the vacancy of only a few 100's of positions (optimistically)

2) Airlines monitor the flight training institute and your flight training during cadet pilot programs so that you meet their standards and have a constant filtering process to only allow the best pilots to reach them. In a cadet pilot program averagely around 200-300 candidates apply for a batch of 20-25 cadets. I mean to say it is smarter to compete with 200-300 ab-initio pilots than 1000’s of CPL holders

3) Flying needs to be recent, Type rating needs to be current etc. (which obviously cost more money) are some of the risks to be remembered before opting for that path. Whereas the LOI (Letter of Intent) states that if you clear all your exams you will be full-time employed with your airline as a First Officer which is quite fair.

4) It is smarter to get paid for 6 months rather than be unemployed (with the stress of repaying your training costs). I feel so.

So if you can afford to, I would without any doubt suggest you to opt for a Cadet Pilot Program

P.S It is ethically wrong to refer to unemployed pilots as stupid.

I beg to differ, they all were equally good.

He is a bored aviator, so he is just time passing...

It is around 1.5 times the money for traditional path.