Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Becoming a pilot has just got more expensive with the hike in jet fuel price and the rupee crashing. Getting a commercial pilot licence (CPL) in India — which involves flying for a minimum of 200 hours and clearing theory exams — used to cost about Rs 50-60 lakh earlier in India, and the same is now in the range of Rs 60 to 70 lakh. And going abroad to a “good” flying school in the US or New Zealand now costs 15%-16% more than the earlier average range of Rs 70-80 lakh for doing so on their own and not via the expensive cadet pilot programmes run by some big airlines.
“A litre of jet fuel for flying schools now costs Rs 131 per litre, up from earlier Rs 70/litre. 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 increased globally. CPL, as it is, has been an expensive course and now it has gone beyond the reach of some aspirants,” said Y N Sharma, CEO of Chimes Aviation Academy, a leading Indian flying school in India.A senior official of another top Indian flying school said a weaker rupee has added to the costs. “A single engine aircraft used for flying training costs about $6.5 lakh and a twin-engine costs about $1.5 million. With the dollar getting dearer, aircraft acquisition is more expensive. All this has to be passed on to cadet pilots and the CPL course costs factoring in all additional expenses is now in the range of Rs 60-70 lakh in India, up from Rs 50-60 lakh earlier,” this official said.A senior airline official said flying training organisations (FTOs) have informed that “they are struggling to survive and have sought a hike in pricing of the cadet pilot programmes being run by us. They are not inducting fresh batches under the old pricing. Cadet pilots who opt for going abroad under cadet programme for their CPL flying pay in dollars and that cost has increased significantly from the earlier Rs 1.3 crore plus.”Added expense is just another woe for the majority of students pursuing CPL training in India where a long wait begins right from the time they join a school. Barring a few “good” schools, getting 200 flying hours means a long, uncertain and expensive wait and can take upto or even more than two years. Which means a longer interest payment term for loans taken to pursue this course. The long course period is followed by an even longer wait for a job. In CY 2025, for instance, neither Air India nor IndiGo hired a single entry level pilot. Akasa has surplus and SpiceJet is facing serious financial headwinds.
