Best Flying Schools in India: Eligibility, Cost, Courses & More

Last Updated on October 6, 2023 by Sidharth PS

Do you want to become a Commercial Pilot? If yes, this article will be of help to you. Here, I’ve listed some of the best flying schools in India. The best thing about these flying schools is that they charge relatively lower fees. The reason for relatively low fees is the subsidy provided by these schools.

To become a commercial pilot, one must obtain a CPL (Commercial Pilot License). To obtain CPL, one must obtain flying training from an institute recognized by the DGCA.

The training institute where flying training is provided is called a flying school. In India, there are many government-operated as well as privately run flying schools and clubs.

To obtain CPL, a candidate must complete 200 flying hours at a flying school. In short, flying schools are very important, when it comes to obtaining a CPL!

Typical flying school charges could be anywhere between 25-40 Lakh Rupees (or more). Yes, it is a costly process!

How to select the right flying school?

As I mentioned before, flying schools are expensive. It is a huge investment for many of us. That’s why you must give adequate attention to the quality of the school (you’re about to be admitted).

While taking admission, make sure that the flying school satisfies the points mentioned below –

1. The flying school should be recognized by the DGCA.
2. It should have adequate infrastructure.
3. The faculty should be well-trained, experienced and knowledgeable.
4. There should be adequate lab and practical facilities
5. There should be modern training amenities like computer-aided training, simulators etc.
6. The quality of the flying training (and amenities) should be good.

Let us check out the list of best flying schools in India –

List of best flying schools in India

1. Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Academy
   • State: Uttar Pradesh
   • Address: IGRUA, Fursatganj Airfield, Amethi, Uttar Pradesh
   • Type of flying school: Central Government
2. Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology
   • State: Kerala
   • Address: RGAAT, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
   • Type of flying school: State Government (Kerala)
3. Nagpur Flying Club
   • State: Maharashtra
   • Address: Office of the Divisional Commissioner, Civil Lines, Nagpur, Maharashtra
   • Type of flying school: State Government (Maharashtra)
4. Patiala Aviation Club
   • State: Punjab
   • Address: Civil Aerodrome, Sangrur Road, Patiala, Punjab
   • Type of flying school: State Government (Punjab)
5. Telangana State Aviation Academy
   • State: Telangana
   • Address: Old Air Port, Hyderabad, Telangana
   • Type of flying school: State Government (Telangana)
6. Bihar Flying Institute
   • State: Bihar
   • Address: Civil Aviation Department, Government of Bihar, Patna Airport, Patna, Bihar
   • Type of flying school: State Government (Bihar)
7. Government Aviation Training Institute
   • State: Odisha
   • Address: Directorate of Aviation, Civil Aerodrome, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
   • Type of flying school: State Government (Odisha)
8. Government Flying Training School
   • State: Karnataka
   • Address: Jakkur, Bengaluru, Karnataka
   • Type of flying school: State Government (Karnataka)
9. Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation
   • State: Haryana
   • Address: Civil Aerodrome, Kunjpura Road, Karnal, Haryana
   • Type of flying school: State Government (Haryana)
10. Madhya Pradesh Flying Club
    • State: Madhya Pradesh
    • Address: Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport, Civil Aerodrome, Bijasan Road, Indore, Madhya Pradesh
    • Type of flying school: Public Limited
11. The Bombay Flying Club
    • State: Maharashtra
    • Address: Juhu Airport, Santacruz, Mumbai, Maharashtra
    • Type of flying school: Society
12. Gujarat Flying Club
    • State: Gujarat
    • Address: Vadodara Airport, Vadodara, Gujarat
    • Type of flying school: Trust
13. Flytech Aviation Academy
    • State: Telangana
    • Address: Road No 10, West Maredpally, Secunderabad, Telangana
    • Type of flying school: Public Limited
14. Ahmedabad Avation and Aeronautics Limited
    • State: Gujarat
    • Address: AAA Hanger, Old Terminal Airport, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
    • Type of flying school: Public Limited
15. Asia Pacific Flight Training Academy Limited
    • State: Telangana
    • Address: GMR HIAL Airport Office, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad, Hyderabad, Telangana
    • Type of flying school: Private Limited
16. Academy of Carver Aviation
    • State: Maharashtra
    • Address: MIDC Industrial Area, Near Baramati Airport, Baramati, Maharashtra
    • Type of flying school: Private Limited
17. Alchemist Aviation Private Limited
    • State: Jharkhand
    • Address: Sonari Aerodrome, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
    • Type of flying school: Private Limited
18. Ambitions Flying Club Private Limited
    • State: Uttar Pradesh
    • Address: Aligarh Airstrip, Dhanipur, Panethi, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh
    • Type of flying school: Private Limited
19. Banasthali Vidyapith Gliding Flying Club
    • State: Rajasthan
    • Address: Banasthali University, Banasthali, Tonk, Rajasthan
    • Type of flying school: Private Limited
20. Blue Ray Aviation Private Limited
    • State: Maharashtra
    • Address: BRAPL Hangar, Osmanabad Airport, Maharashtra
    • Type of flying school: Private Limited
21. Chimes Aviation Academy
    • State: Madhya Pradesh
    • Address: CAA, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh
    • Type of flying school: Private Limited
22. Falcon Aviation Academy
    • State: Uttar Pradesh
    • Address: FAA, Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh
    • Type of flying school: Trust
23. Garg Aviation Limited
    • State: Uttar Pradesh
    • Address: Hangar No 3, Civil Aerodrome, Cantt, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
    • Type of flying school: Private Limited
24. Global Konnect Aviation Services Private Limited
    • State: Uttarakhand
    • Address: Pant Nagar Airport, Uttarakhand
    • Type of flying school: Private Limited
25. National Flying Training Institute Private Limited
    • State: Maharashtra
    • Address: Airport Authority of India, Birsi Airport, Paraswada, Gondia, Maharashtra
    • Type of flying school: Private Limited
26. Orient Flight Aviation Academy
    • State: Karnataka
    • Address: Mysore, Karnataka
    • Type of flying school: Private Limited
27. Pioneer Flying Academy Private Limited
    • State: Uttar Pradesh
    • Address: Dhanipur Airport, Panethi, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh
    • Type of flying school: Private Limited
28. Redbird Flight Training Academy Private Limited
    • State: Maharashtra
    • Address: Baramati Airport, Baramati, Maharashtra
    • Type of flying school: Private Limited
29. Sha-Shib Flying Academy
    • State: Madhya Pradesh
    • Address: Guna, Madhya Pradesh
    • Type of flying school: Society
30. SVKM NMIMS Academy of Aviation
    • State: Maharashtra
    • Address: Babulde, Mumbai-Agra Road, Shirpur, Dhule, Maharashtra
    • Type of flying school: Private Limited
31. Saraswati Aviation Academy
    • State: Uttar Pradesh
    • Address: Sultanpur, Amhat Airfield, Uttar Pradesh
    • Type of flying school: Trust
32. Wings Aviation Private Limited
    • State: Telangana
    • Address: Adjacent Airport Road, Begumpet, Hyderabad, Telangana
    • Type of flying school: Private Limited

Readers may go through the entire list and choose an ideal flying school. Based on the entity that owns the institute, flying schools in India can be classified into the following types –

• State Government institutes
• Central Government institutes
• Public Limited institutes
• Private Limited institutes
• Institutes managed by Societies
• Institutes managed by Trusts

Flying schools owned, operated, and managed by government agencies (state or central) are known to provide subsidized flying training to eligible and deserving candidates. State and central government flying schools even provide scholarships. On the other hand, private flying schools charge relatively higher training fees.

Pilot Training Courses/Programs: Eligibility & Duration

Most of the flying institutes covered in this list are known to offer the following three flying training programs –

• Student Pilot’s Licence (SPL)
• Private Pilot Licence (PPL)
• Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL)

If you are just a flying enthusiast, you may begin with the Student Pilot’s Licence. After obtaining SPL, one may apply for PPL and become a licensed pilot. After acquiring PPL, one may undergo CPL training and get a Commercial Pilot Licence.

If you want to become a commercial pilot (without enrolling for SPL or PPL separately), you may apply for the CPL training course. Come, let us take a close look at each one of these programs –

1 Student Pilot Licence (SPL)

• To apply for SPL training, you don’t need any prior flying experience.
• Candidate must be at least 16 years old at the time of admission/enrollement.
• He/she must have completed 10th standard from a recognized board.

2 Private Pilot Licence (PPL)

• PPL training program is crafted for those who want to become a licenced pilot.
• Candidates who possess SPL are eligible to apply for this training program.
• The PPL training program consists of 40 hours of flying time.

3 Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL)

• Candidate must be 18 years old at the time of admission/enrollment.
• He/she must have passed 12th standard with Physics and Mathematics subjects from a recognized board.
• The CPL training program consists of 200 hours of flying time.
• The program trains candidates in areas such as – dual flying, solo flying, general flying, landing, instruments and more.

These are the prominent flying training programs. But some flying schools are also known to provide other training programs and courses. Some such additional courses and programs are –

• Ground training
• Simulator training
• Instrument rating course
• AME
• B.Sc. Aviation
• B.Sc. Aeronautics
• Cabin Crew training

Cost of flying training in India –

Let us talk about the cost of CPL training in this section. The cost charged depends upon factors such as – the type of flying school (government, private, trust etc.), fleet owned by the institute, scholarship status of the candidate, and more.

On average, CPL training can India can cost you anywhere between 25 to 50 Lakh INR. The cost may vary from one flying institute to another.

Vishnu Nambiar

I am Vishnu Nambiar a career and educational blogger from India. I am also a full time educational consultant having more than 12 years of experience in the educational sector.

I share articles related to courses, colleges, careers, exam tips and more here.