The Indian Aviation Industry has shown a remarkable growth in the past couple of years. It is as if the Indian skies are exploding with civil aviation activity. As per a recent study, India has already become the third largest aviation market in the world after US and China. More importantly, it is the fastest growing aviation market with more than 7% growth predicted annually. With the recent spate of orders for narrow body and wide body jet aircraft from Boeing and Airbus, Indigo and Air India have set a record of sorts. Considering the existing backlog of pending orders, and subtracting the number of aircraft to be replaced, these two frontrunner Airlines of India will account for an increase of approximately 1,350 aircraft into India’s civil aviation kitty over the next 8-10 years.
All this growth translates into a rising demand for pilots. Each aircraft purchased by an airline leads to a gross requirement of minimum 12-15 pilots for its operation. Based on the order of 1,350 aircraft, the total number of pilots required in the near future is approximately 18,000. This is a whopping 200% increase from present numbers of 9,000 to 10,000 pilots operating with the commercial airlines in India.
Along with the increasing requirement of well-trained Commercial Pilots across the industry, a gradual but sure-footed change has been taking place in the infrastructure for training of Commercial Pilots in our country. A mere 15-20 years back, there were very few Ground Training Academies and Flying Schools in India. However, today we have professionally-sound, Aviation Academies coming up in all regions, like the SkyWize Aviation Academy in North India.
These developments have made the career choice of becoming a Commercial Pilot very lucrative for today’s youth. The career prospects in commercial flying are extremely bright for youngsters who dream of making it big professionally. The journey from a rookie to a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) holder takes approximately two years. Even if a candidate takes 4-6 months to secure a job with an Airline, it is lesser than the time required to obtain a simple graduate degree after Class XII. On joining the airline, the journey from a Trainee Pilot to a qualified Captain takes maximum 4-5 years. This means that an aspirant can get close to the apex pay scale, which is generally Rs 7 Lakhs – 8 Lakhs per month, in just 6-7 years after completing Class XII, which also includes the training period. No other career offers this kind of growth along with such high pay and allowances. Compared to this, other career options like an Engineering + MBA combination, or a Specialist Doctor option, take 6-7 years to just get the necessary qualifications. Thereafter, it is another matter to struggle and reach the kind of pay scales that a Commercial Pilot enjoys.
It is therefore evident that the career choice of becoming a commercial pilot is better than most other options available to the younger generation today. Indian pilots are not only in great demand within the domestic sector in India, but also in foreign countries, especially the Middle East, where the pay scales are even higher than India. Apart from the monetary benefits, the immense respect commanded by a Pilot, coupled with the glamour of the uniform and constant professional satisfaction, makes it one of the most worthwhile career options for the young generation seeking job stability. Most importantly, the feeling of flying is like no other, as it allows us to appreciate the beauty of the world from a very special perspective. So go ahead and choose commercial flying as a career and become part of an exclusive club of professionals.
