Pilot cadetships open to Indian candidates, airline by airline
At home, Akasa's SkyCadet takes Indian citizens only and is closed, and SpiceJet names Indian nationals and OCI card holders. Abroad, Emirates and Qatar Airways train their own citizens, Cathay Pacific and British Airways want a right to work there, and Singapore Airlines prints no nationality rule.
- Akasa: closed. Indian citizens only.
- SpiceJet: OCI named. Beside an Indian passport, on one page.
- Cathay: open all year. With a right to live and work in Hong Kong.
- Singapore Airlines: open. No nationality rule printed.
Who each cadetship takes
Air India lists a Cadet Pilot Program on its careers page, but its programme site did not load on 15 September 2026, and neither did IndiGo's. Both have their own pages on the cadet programmes hub.
| Airline | Who can apply | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Akasa Air, SkyCadet | Indian citizens only | Closed |
| SpiceJet, Cadet Pilot Programme | Indian nationals or OCI card holders | Not stated |
| Singapore Airlines, Ab Initio Cadet Pilot | No nationality rule on the page | Open |
| Cathay Pacific, Cadet Pilot Programme | Right to live and work in Hong Kong or mainland China | Open all year |
| British Airways, Speedbird Pilot Academy | Right to live and work in the UK without sponsorship | Closed for 2026 |
| Emirates, National Cadet Pilot Programme | UAE nationals | Not stated |
| Qatar Airways, Cadet Pilot Training Programme | Qatari nationals only | Listed |
Read 15 September 2026.
A right to work there decides it
Your passport does not decide these two. Both fund the training.
IANG and TTPS are Hong Kong immigration routes. Whether you qualify is for Hong Kong's immigration rules to say, not the airline.
- Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong. The right to live and work in Hong Kong or mainland China. Anyone eligible for IANG or TTPS, too.
- British Airways, United Kingdom. The right to live and work in the UK, without sponsorship.
No passport rule, and no promise either
Singapore Airlines' cadet page asks for education, eyesight within limits and a height of 1.58 m, and says applications are open. It does not say it takes foreign applicants either.
The grades it names are GCE O and A levels, or a diploma or degree. Cadets draw a monthly allowance in training and are bonded for seven years from the day they become First Officers.
The Gulf trains its own citizens
Emirates runs its sponsored programme for UAE nationals. Qatar Airways titles its listing Qatari Nationals Only, under Qatarisation. Neither airline lists a cadetship for anyone else.
The two that trip people up
Can an OCI card holder apply to an Indian cadetship?
Not to Akasa, which takes Indian citizens only. SpiceJet's academy names OCI card holders twice, and the same page also asks for a valid Indian passport. Get the academy's answer in writing before you pay the application fee.
Is a place at an airline's academy the same as its cadetship?
No. Emirates' academy takes international cadets on its course, but they pay the tuition. The fully sponsored programme is for UAE nationals.
Every Indian cadetship sits the DGCA papers
Free samples in many chapters, with the working underneath.
