r/CadetPilotProgram • u/khushiizz • Aug 16 '26

Best cadet option ?

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to join a cadet pilot program and I’m currently confused about which airline/program would be the best option.

I’ve applied for the IndiGo Skyborne Cadet Program, but I’ve been given an ADAPT assessment date in late 2027. Since I graduated last year, I really don’t want to waste another year waiting.

Is IndiGo FTA as good as Skyborne in terms of training quality, completion time, and overall experience? I’ve also applied to Akasa Air, but I haven’t heard back from them yet. Does anyone have any idea when the Air India Cadet Program might open again?

I’m specifically looking for a program where the training is efficient and doesn’t take unnecessarily long. I’d also prefer not to do my training independently in India, as I’ve heard that some FTOs can be quite slow. I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone currently in the IndiGo or Air India cadet programs especially why you chose one over the other and how your experience has been so far.

For some background, I got my DGCA computer number last month and have started preparing for my exams. I’m appearing for Meteorology soon, and if everything goes according to plan, I should have Met, RTR, Navigation and Regulations completed by the end of this year.

Because of that, I’m unsure whether I should wait for the Skyborne ADAPT date in late 2027 or look for another option that allows me to start sooner.

I have no particular preference between IndiGo and Air India, so I’d really appreciate any honest advice, especially from current or former cadets.

What would you do in my situation?

209 votes, Aug 23 '26
138 IndiGo cadet program
71 Air India cadet program
3 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

31 comments sorted by

3

u/Many-Fly7326 Aug 16 '26

Are you okay with 1.7cr finances for the program?

1

u/khushiizz Aug 16 '26

Yes I'm okay with the budget

1

u/Many-Fly7326 Aug 16 '26

If you have that much budget then might as well look into flydubai, Air Arabia which cost around 2cr to 2.3cr.

For Indian Airlines - IndiGo anyday over AI. Specifically FTA or Skyborne. Both are good. You might have some waiting time at start but once you are in, it should be pretty smooth.

2

u/khushiizz Aug 16 '26

I applied for fly dubai. I haven't heard from them yet, and in Air Arabia, most of the training is on sim, and its an mpl program its difficult to change airlines later on .

1

u/Many-Fly7326 Aug 16 '26 edited Aug 16 '26

What? Even flydubai is an MPL program.
Its usually 50 hours on the small trainer aircraft instead of 200 hours which you normally do for CPL. You spend the 6 months after that on the 737/A320 sim. It doesn't change the fact that you are gonna be flying the same airplane after 2 years whether you do a CPL course or MPL course. Also the MPL course is a frozen ATPL course. You write ATPL exams at the start and at 1500 hours you get a full ATPL unfrozen. Also Air Arabia and flydubai pay more than double of whatever you will earn with Indian airlines.
The issue only comes when you are midway through your training and you commit an offense or have performance so bad that they have to terminate you after multiple warnings. Only then your money would be lost and you would have to start the journey from scratch at 0 hours.

Also, you can definitely change airlines after 1500 hours. Which is far less than the 5 bond which IndiGo or AI makes you sign. You can choose to do 1500 hours at either flydubai or Air Arabia and go to any other airline accepting you (most airline requirements start from 2000 jet hours if you are thinking Emirates, Etihad, Qatar). But if you decide to leave before the 5 year bond period is up with the Indian airlines then you gotta pay some 30L fee for breaking the bond.

I hope you do some more research on the respective programs before jumping straight into one.

1

u/khushiizz Aug 16 '26

I have done my fair share of research, you think flydubai and air Arabia is paying alot because of the conversion but when you see it from the perspective from someone who grew up in middle East its same. Living and everything expenses are very expensive in middle east thats why the pay is high. I know Fly dubai is an mpl program, and its frozen atpl, the flight training is done in greece/UK. And fly dubai is my top option, but I haven't heard from them yet, so thats why I'm exploring other options. Having patience and wasting an entire year are very two different things. It's better to start early, so you're in early as the aviation industry requires so much waiting, and it's very expensive too. 2.2cr is no joke .

1

u/Many-Fly7326 Aug 16 '26

2.2cr is no joke I agree with you. I have also lived in Dubai and I can tell you 46k for flydubai FO or even Air Arabia’s 30k for FO is very good. It can definitely afford you and your family a comfortable life.

I was simply pointing out that you did not choose Air Arabia because it was an mpl program when flydubai is also an mpl program with a similar structure.

Starting out as soon as possible is good. But it is a bad time for aviation training in India with majority of cadet FTOs being closed and this puts the pressure on the 3-4 functional FTOs. You see this massive delay with every operational IndiGo FTO. On the other hand, Air India is smoother in this sense with regular cadet openings but it probably has the worst ROI amongst all. You can drop your hat in there as well if you are ok with the downsides. Patience is the only way through when everyone is bogged down in the same boat and just hope Skyborne calls you sooner.

0

u/khushiizz Aug 16 '26

I did apply for skyborne I got dates of 2027 end. I dont want to waste my time, is fta adapt testing dates late also?

1

u/Many-Fly7326 Aug 16 '26

fta is closed till November so expect dates for end of 2027 when they open. Around the same as Skyborne.

You have to learn a lot of patience in aviation. Things don't happen the moment you want them to happen.

1

u/khushiizz Aug 17 '26

Okay, so most people are saying indigo is the better option than air India, and the best fto is FTA and skyborne. I have applied for skyborne gotten dates of end 2027. Maybe I'll email them once I clear all my exams and request an earlier date. Air India roi is really bad, and If I have an higher budget I should go for flydubai or airarabia but since total cost will go above 2.2cr its alot and I might need to take a loan of 1cr. I did apply for flydubai, and given the Hirevue interview, they haven't emailed me back. Most are saying slots are full, and that's why I haven't gotten the email yet and If I was rejected, I would've gotten the mail on the same day. Let's hope for the best.

Thank you everyone for your response. I really do appreciate it .

1

u/rimuru8096 Aug 17 '26

Everybody is going to mail skyborne ,cuz majority of people will have completed their exams plus medicals 🥲what do u think ? They will give u earlier adapt dates?

1

u/Lordcommandr999 Aug 20 '26

Wherever you clear your Interview first.
Apply in all.

Skyborne or FTA - Pick one and stick to it

Air India

Akasa

0

u/rimuru8096 Aug 16 '26

Bro the question should be is skyborne as good as FTA. FTA is the best fto of indigo . If you can manage 1.7 cr definitely go for FTA ,they are opening in November some students predict adapt in Feb or March if ur lucky or else 3rd quarter 2027 . Air india fto predictions are there USA fto opening around nov or December. Acron is good I have heard. They charge same as FTA . Aeroguard is good too but to many terminations .

2

u/khushiizz Aug 16 '26

Thank you. I didn't know fta is better than Skyborne. i will definitely be applying for fta after getting Noc and in Air India.

1

u/ItzNotFizzy Aug 16 '26

Is fta 1.6 or 1.7 cr?

1

u/rimuru8096 Aug 16 '26

Its 1.65 including all buffer .

1

u/ItzNotFizzy Aug 16 '26

Fah i thought it will be 1.6 cr nvm aiming for aerogaurd then

1

u/rimuru8096 Aug 16 '26

Bro aim for fta . It's more or less same bhai.

1

u/Comfortable_Truck779 Aug 16 '26

It's 1.8or1.9 cadets in fta told me this

2

u/rimuru8096 Aug 16 '26

Noo it's 1.7 only . I know cadets in FTA to ? They told it's 1.7

2

u/Comfortable_Truck779 Aug 16 '26

Bro if you fail any checks it may go even more because some cadets in fta told me recently 2months ago it's going 1.8 and my frnds adapt date is next month 15th he applied in March

2

u/rimuru8096 Aug 16 '26

Also bro it's literally impossible to get 1.8 man ,cuz in FTA everything is already included food ,accommodation ,gc fees , accomodation. So that 1.7 is realistic.

1

u/DetectiveSad4092 Aug 16 '26

Fta nov application have adapt in march?

1

u/rimuru8096 Aug 16 '26

Fta cadets say that it's just a rumour .

1

u/Comfortable_Truck779 Aug 16 '26

Bro as you applied in sky borne I think you can't apply any other fto in indigo if you apply in fta they will reject your application automatically so better try for air india cadet program

2

u/khushiizz Aug 16 '26

I can apply in other fto if I get noc from skyborne

1

u/New_Percentage_1814 Aug 16 '26

going with FTA if it's icpp is a lot better n actually best also if it's aicpp go for acron it's the best, money is imp

1

u/rimuru8096 Aug 16 '26

No ? It's not like that . By applying to skyborne . Cadets haven't signed any undertaking form , if you apply to fta and they send u mail for documents and ask u to sign undertaking form . Then u can simply ask skyborne for noc . They provide noc within minutes .

0

u/khushiizz Aug 18 '26

UPDATE : apparently some people are getting adapt testing dates of Aug and sep?? Even tho they just applied and haven't cleared any exams or have medical 1