Chimes Aviation Academy Inducts Record 74 Cadets into IndiGo Pilot Program in September 2026

India – Chimes Aviation Academy (CAA) has inducted 74 cadets into Batch ICP 14 of the CAA IndiGo Cadet Pilot Program in September 17, 2026, establishing a new batch-size record for the airline-linked training pathway. The intake continues the expansion of a program that combines ab initio flight training in India with subsequent Airbus A320 preparation for IndiGo.

• This latest batch exceeded the 67 cadets officially recorded by CAA for ICP 11 in March 2026, which had previously been the academy's largest LOI-signing intake.
• CAA currently publishes the IndiGo pathway as a 20-month full-time program covering ground school, Commercial Pilot Licence flight training and subsequent Airbus A320 Type Rating preparation. Ground-school instruction is conducted in Gurugram, with flight training delivered from CAA's Dhana and Neemuch airbases in Madhya Pradesh.
• The flying phase includes 185 hours on single-engine aircraft, 15 hours on the Diamond DA42 multi-engine aircraft and 30 hours of simulator training. Following CPL completion, cadets progress to Airbus A320 training incorporating Multi-Crew Coordination and Jet Orientation Training at an IndiGo-approved Type Rating Training Organisation partner.
• CAA currently operates 33 training aircraft, comprising nine Cessna 172 R/S aircraft, 17 Piper Archer DXs, four Tecnam P2010s and three Diamond DA42s. Its simulator infrastructure consists of three devices representing the Piper PA-28-181, Cessna 172 and Diamond DA42.
• The academy's two-airbase model is supported by in-house CAR-145 maintenance at both Dhana and Neemuch. CAA has trained more than 1,000 pilots since commencing flight-training operations in 2008.
• CAA recorded more than 35,000 flying hours and 185 CPL completions during 2025. 

About IndiGo
IndiGo is an Indian airline headquartered in Gurugram and the airline partner for CAA's cadet pathway. As of 31 March 2026, IndiGo reported a fleet of 441 aircraft, including 208 A320-family aircraft, 173 A321-family aircraft including one A321XLR, 46 ATRs, three A321 freighters and damp-leased Boeing 737 and 787 aircraft.

Source: Chimes Aviation Academy