How to Become a Pilot in India (2026)?

Dreamin’ to fly high? Get your wings with our complete guide to “How to become a Pilot in India (2026)” that will help you achieve your dream job of becoming a pilot in India. Whether you are searching for a commercial cadet pilot job or want to serve your country as an Air Force Pilot, read all the required information regarding eligibility, salary, entrance exams and more. It requires investment, patience, and relentless focus – but the payoff is nothing short of extraordinary: living life above the clouds, a career that demands respect, and the sheer thrill of making the sky your office. Get on the pathway that takes you to the real cockpit, which is meant for the sky riders who are determined to touch the clouds.

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Licenses to obtain for a pilot in India are:

• CPL-Commercial Pilot License 
• PPL-Private Pilot License 
• CFL-Certified Flight Instructor 
• CMEL-Commercial Multi-Engine Land 

Centres for Pilot Training in India are:

• AFA- Air Force Academy 
• NFTI- National Flying Training Institute
• IGRUA- Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Academy

How to Join the Indian Air Force?

Candidates who desire to serve the nation by guarding from the sky join the Indian Armed Forces as pilots in the Indian Air Force. If you want to become a pilot, you must join the Flying Branch of the IAF, where you’ll find the following types of pilots:

• Fighter jet pilot/ fighter pilot
• Transport pilot
• Helicopter pilot

To be trained from:

• National Defence Academy
• Indian Air Force Academy (IAFA), Dundigal

Check out the Indian Air Force Pilot eligibility to become a part of the IAF:

• 16.5 years to 24 years old is the age limit to apply as a pilot.
• Must be an Indian citizen
• Qualifications: These are the qualification criteria the candidate must follow:
  • He/she must have completed 12th with Maths + Physics, obtaining 50-55% in each subject from a recognised board by the GOI.
  • Completed a Bachelor of Engineering (BE) Aeronautical Engineering, B.Sc Aviation, BBA Aviation Management or BTech from a recognised institution with 60th percentile.
  • Candidate who had cleared Section A & B from Associate Membership of the Institute of Engineers( AMIE, India) or the Aeronautical Society of India examination with 60% passing marks for qualification.

Entrance Examinations for Air Force Pilot-

If you want to apply as a pilot in the Indian Air Force, candidates primarily need to clear specific entrance exams, approved by the boards and medical examinations. There are three crucial steps to crack the entrance examination for air force:

• Written examination/ NCC Certificate for recommendation
• SSB Interview
• Medical Examination

An AFSB interview is required to enter the flying branch.

Here is a list of national-level exams that can be given by eligible candidates:

• NDA Exam:
  • NDA entrance exams are for those who have cleared 12th with Maths & Physics and are aiming for permanent commission in the flying branch in Indian Armed Forces.
  • He/she must clear the NDA/NA exam conducted by UPSC twice a year.
  • Age of the candidate: 16.5 years -19.5 years old
  • Obtained 50% marks in 10+2 class with PCM.
  • After the NDA exam, the candidate is required to give an SSB interview, medical tests for fitness, and NDA training for 3 years + Air Force Academy for 1 year.
  • Process to apply: After 12th (50% marks), go for the NDA exam → Air Force Academy → Pilot Training
• AFCAT Exam:
  • AFCAT entrance examination is useful for candidates in short service commission(SSC) (14 years) as pilots.
  • He/she has to clear the AFCAT exam twice a year, which will check his/her awareness, reasoning skills, mathematical aptitude, and English language skills.
  • 20 – 24 years old, unmarried candidates are required. 
  • He/she must have obtained 60% marks in 12th (including Physics/Maths)
  • This entrance exam includes AFSB (Air Force Selection Board) testing and CPSS to examine pilot aptitude.
  • The training at the Air Force Academy is for 74 weeks, and the EKT(Engineering Knowledge Test) is for technical roles.
  • Process to apply: After graduation with 60%, go for the AFCAT exam → AFSB Interview → Medical Exam →  Air Force Academy for training
• CDS Exam:
  • CDS (Combined Defence Services) exam for graduates pursuing the flying branch via IMA/OTA routes leading to the Air Force Academy.
  • He/she must qualify for the UPSC CDS exam, which is held twice a year.
  • Age of the candidate must be 20-24 years old (unmarried males with any graduation degree)
  • After the examination, the candidate must undergo an SSB interview, a medical exam, and a 1.5-year training program for the PC/SSC commission.
  • Process to apply: After graduation with 60%, go for the CDS exam → Written exam → AFSB Interview → Medical Exam →  Air Force Academy for training
• NCC Special Entry:
  • This entrance is for the NCC Air Wing ‘C’ certificate holders.
  • There is no written examination; the candidate has to directly undergo an SSB interview after recommendation.
  • Age of the candidate: 20-24 years old (unmarried)
  • After the interview is cleared, the candidate leads to a 1.5-year training and PC/SSC.
  • Process to apply: Candidate must have NCC Air Wing ‘C’ certificate, apply for NCC Special Entry under the AFCAT website → Direct Call for AFSB Interview → Medical Exam →  Air Force Academy for training
• CPSS/PABT (Once in a lifetime exam):
  • In the AFSB Interview, the Computerised Pilot Selection Test is one of the crucial examinations that is given only one chance to attempt. It was earlier known as the Pilot Aptitude Battery Test (PABT). The candidates from the non-flying branch cannot give this exam. If the candidate fails to pass the exam, he/she can never join the Air Force as a pilot.

Physical Standards Eligibility for Men & Women-

The Indian Air Force has defined some standards for physical requirements to become a pilot:

Salary for an Indian Air Force Pilot-

• Beginners with 0 to 3 years of experience: Rs. 16.50 lakh per annum + allowances such as dearness allowance, house rent allowance, children’s education allowance and transport allowance.
• Senior Pilot with more than 5 years of experience: Rs. 30 lakhs per annum + allowances

How to Apply for a Commercial Cadet Pilot?

To become a Commercial Pilot in India is not only about operating an aircraft, but it is also about acquiring the responsibility of carrying the lives of hundreds of people safely from cities to countries and continents. In childhood, you must have waved at the aeroplanes that came over your home roofs. If you are determined enough to become a commercial pilot and acquire a reputed and financially high position, follow the criteria and process to become the next commercial pilot of an airline.

Process to Apply for Commercial Pilot as follows:

The candidate must first acquire the Commercial Pilot Licence from a recognised institution verified by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

• Age Limit: To acquire a Student Pilot License (SPL), the age is 17 years old to begin training. However, the candidate’s age must be at least 18 years from the date of application for CPL.
• Qualifications: Passed 12th examination with Maths and Physics, scoring 50% each.
• Entrance tests: AME, CET, and IGRUA.
• DGCA Class 2 medical certification and knowledge of english language are required.
• Before CPL, get certified with the DGCA Class 1 medical test.

Step 1: Look for a verified Pilot training institution or flying schools in India, which can be government or private (expenses are high). You must check out fees structure, curriculum and eligibility to get into the flying school.

The DGCA-approved Indian flying schools are as follows:

• Indira Gandhi Institute of Aviation Technology (New Delhi)
• Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Akademi (UP)
• NFTI CAE Gondia (Maharashtra)
• Redbird Flight Training Academy
• Orient Flights Aviation Academy (Mysuru)

Normally, the flying school’s fees range from 20 to 50 lakh per annum.

Step 2: To get certification to apply further as a pilot, complete flight training for 200 -250 hours, which includes Solo, Cross-country flying, Instrument flying and night training sessions.

Step 3: Pass the examination conducted by DGCA, which includes the following subjects: 

• Compass training
• Metereology
• Air regulations
• Aircraft systems
• Air Navigation
• Aerodynamics
• Air Traffic Control 
• Technical general or specific

After this process, you will get your Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), but you are still not eligible to fly a plane.

Step 4: Go for Type Rating, which involves flying particular aircraft models such as ATR 72, Boeing 737, and Airbus A320. Until you complete this stage, you cannot fly an aircraft even if you have a CPL from DGCA. To fly an aircraft, you have to be trained individually for each aircraft.
Duration: 3 to 6 months of training
Cost: 25-30 lakh for training

Step 5: After completing your Type Rating, you have to apply for RTR (A). 

RTR (A) is an abbreviation for Radio Telephony Restricted (Aerodrome) License, which is a license issued by the Wireless Planning & Coordination wing of the Ministry of Communications of India, and is a prerequisite for those who wish to become commercial pilots.

• Eligibility: Pass class 12 with Maths+Physics and Basic Radio Theory knowledge.
• The license obtained is valid for a period of up to 10 years.
• Exam Format: Written test consists of MCQs on regulations, Morse code, phonetics, and VHF (2-hour exam) with oral and practical viva by the selection board.

Step 6: After applying for RTR(A), you can apply for a Cadet Pilot Program in any of the airlines: 

• Air India
• InDigo
• SpiceJet
• Air Asia

Salaries for Commercial Pilots in India are-

• For freshers pilot: Average salary for new pilots will be Rs. 18 – 30 lakh/annum, which is Rs. 1.5 – 3 lakh/month.
• Senior Captains: 6 lakh/month or more, ranging from 35 – 90 lakh/annum.