Air India Cadet Pilot Programme Loan

It is Air India's ab initio route. You start with no flying experience and train for a commercial pilot licence, then a type rating.

• CPL training at Amravati or with US partners
• Type rating at Air India affiliated training centres
• Selection by Air India before training starts

Two other airline routes are worth comparing: the IndiGo cadet programme loan and the Akasa Air SkyCadet loan.

Air India has not published a fee. Until you have the official schedule, plan with the example amounts below.

For reference, the CPL alone costs about:

• ₹55 lakh to ₹75 lakh in India (18 to 24 months)
• US$60,000 to US$90,000 in the USA (12 to 18 months), about ₹57 lakh to ₹86 lakh

A type rating adds to this. Ask Air India whether it is included in the programme fee.

A government bank lends 85% of the fees against property at around 9.5%, and you pay the other 15% yourself (the margin). An NBFC can fund 100% without property, up to ₹1.5 crore. Here is what each loan asks of you if the programme costs ₹90 lakh.

The pilot loan with property page covers the government bank loan in detail.

This is senior pay. A new first officer earns much less. A job is not guaranteed after training. See pilot salary in India for the full ladder.

1. Check the marks rule early. You need 60% overall and 60% each in English, Maths and Physics.
2. Clear the medical. Book the DGCA Class 2 first, then the Class 1.
3. Prepare for the aptitude test. Revise maths, physics and reasoning.
4. Practise on a simulator if the assessment includes one.
5. Prepare for the interview. Know why you want to fly for Air India.

Not sure a cadet route is right for you? Our guide to airline cadet programmes vs self-sponsored CPL compares cost and risk.

1. Get the selection letter, any LOI and the written fee schedule.
2. Pick the loan and share documents for the student and co-borrower.
3. Get the sanction letter before the first fee is due.
4. The lender pays the academy in stages, in dollars if you train in the USA.

Start from the pilot training loan overview to compare every option.

Student

• PAN, Aadhaar and passport
• 10th and 12th marksheets showing Physics and Maths
• Selection letter or LOI, with the fee schedule
• DGCA medical certificate
• Passport-size photographs

Co-borrower

• PAN and Aadhaar
• Salary slips and Form 16, or two years of ITRs if self-employed
• Bank statements for the last 6 months
• Proof of address

Property (government bank loan only)

• Title deed and previous title chain
• Approved building plan and latest property tax receipt
• Encumbrance certificate

Keep scanned copies ready. A complete file is the biggest factor in a fast sanction.

Lenders do not release the full loan on day one. They pay the academy in stages, against each fee demand.

Because the money goes out in stages, interest runs only on what has been paid. It also protects you if training is paused.

• Waiting for Air India's financing partner without comparing other lenders.
• Planning the loan for Amravati, then being placed in the USA where costs are higher.
• Missing the 60% subject marks rule and paying application costs anyway.
• Borrowing before the Class 2 medical is cleared.
• Not asking whether the type rating is inside the programme fee.

A counsellor can check your plan for these gaps before you apply. The check is free.