IndiGo on Thursday said it has partnered with Garuda Aviation Academy to train fresh pilots as future junior first officers, under the airline's Cadet Pilot Program. The 21-month course includes a three-month ground schooling at Garuda Aviation Academy training centre in Gurugram, followed by 12 months of training at 43 Air School in South Africa, which has a track record of training over 6,000 ab-initio pilots over the years, IndiGo said.
Over the last 13 years, the airline said, it has formed eight such partnerships and inducted over 1,000 pilots through these full training programmes, including commercial pilot licence and A320 type rating, the airline said.
These courses start right from cadet selection to induction into the airline as a pilot, according to the airline.
«The partnership with Garuda Aviation Academy will bolster our Cadet Pilot Programme. We believe that this 21-month course will successfully foster the next generation of skilled pilots who will continue to uphold IndiGo's commitment to providing safe, affordable, and hassle-free travel, for everyone,» said Captain Ashim Mittra, Senior Vice President for flight operations at IndiGo.
Moreover, this initiative aligns seamlessly with the central government's regional air connectivity scheme — UDAN mission — fortifying IndiGo's commitment to connecting with smaller and medium-sized towns and cities, he added.
India is going to have a huge demand for pilots as the domestic carriers' IndiGo, Air India, and Akasa-together have ordered 1,120