Obtaining a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) in India – which involves flying for at least 200 hours and passing theory tests – used to cost around Rs 50-60,000 earlier in India, and now it is in the range of Rs 60-70,000.
It now costs 15% to 16% more to fly abroad to a “good” flight school in the US or New Zealand than the previous average range of Rs 70 to 80 lakh to do so on their own and not through the expensive cadet pilot programs run by some of the major airlines.
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“The price of jet fuel for flying schools is now Rs 131 per litre, compared to Rs 70 per litre earlier. So flying per hour costs Rs 2,500-3,000 more now. Overall CPL costs have increased by about 10% in India and about 15-16% abroad as jet fuel prices have risen globally,” he said.
“The CPL course, as it stands now, used to be expensive, and now it is out of reach for some aspirants,” said YN Sharma, CEO of Chimes Aviation Academy, a leading aviation school in India.A senior official at another major Indian aviation school said the weak rupee had increased costs. “The cost of a single-engine aircraft used for flight training is about $6.5 thousand, and a twin-engine aircraft is about $1.5 million. As the dollar increases, purchasing aircraft becomes more expensive.
“All this has to be passed on to the trainee pilots, and the costs of the CPL course taking all additional expenses into account are now in the range of Rs 60-70 lakh in India, compared to Rs 50-60 lakh earlier,” this official said.A senior airline official said flight training organizations were informed that they were “fighting for survival and seeking to raise the rates for the cadet pilot programs we run. They are not recruiting new batches under the old rates.”
Trainee pilots who choose to fly abroad under the cadet program get their CPL flying fares and this cost has increased significantly from the previous cost of Rs 1.3 lakh crore.
“The additional expenses are just another problem for the majority of students pursuing CPL training in India as the long wait starts right from the time they join school. With the exception of a few “good” schools, obtaining 200 flight hours means a long, uncertain and expensive wait that can take up to two years or even more than two years. Which means a longer interest repayment period on loans taken to pursue this course. A longer course period is followed by a longer wait for a job. In Cyprus year 2025, for example, neither Air India nor IndiGo has hired a single entry-level pilot. Akasa has a surplus and SpiceJet faces serious financial headwinds.