Chimes Aviation Academy to Sponsor IndiGo CEO Keynote Session at Aviation India Summit 2026

India – Indian flight training organisation Chimes Aviation Academy (CAA) has been announced as a Summit Session Sponsor at the Aviation INDIA and South Asia Summit & Exhibition 2026, taking place in New Delhi on November 3–4. The academy will sponsor a keynote interview with IndiGo CEO Willie Walsh, connecting its airline cadet training activities with discussions on the carrier's long-term growth strategy and India's aviation workforce requirements.

• CAA's IndiGo Cadet Pilot Program is structured as a 20-month full-time training pathway covering ground school, Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) training and Airbus A320 type rating preparation. The program operates through the academy's ground school in Gurugram and flight training bases at Dhana and Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh.
• The sponsored keynote interview, titled "Building the IndiGo Platform for the Next 20 Years," will feature Willie Walsh in conversation with Mark Pilling, Conference Director of Aviation India. Walsh assumed the role of IndiGo CEO on August 3, 2026, following his tenure as Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
• The summit will take place at the JW Marriott Hotel, New Delhi Aerocity, bringing together airline executives, aircraft manufacturers, training providers and other aviation stakeholders to discuss developments affecting India and South Asia's aviation sector.
• CAA's sponsorship continues its participation in the event. The academy was also a Summit Session Sponsor in 2025, while its CEO, Y.N. Sharma, participated in discussions on India's pilot training infrastructure and workforce requirements at the 2024 summit.
• AFM previously reported that Chimes Aviation Academy welcomed its 15th IndiGo Cadet Pilot Program batch in October 2026, following a record intake of 74 cadets in Batch ICP 14 in September 2026.
• CAA reports operating 33 training aircraft, comprising 30 single-engine and three multi-engine aircraft. Its training fleet includes Cessna 172, Piper Archer, Tecnam P2010 and Diamond DA42 aircraft, supported by three flight simulation training devices.

Source: Aviation INDIA and South Asia Summit & Exhibition