Type rating cost in India
Bought on the open market, an A320 or B737 type rating costs ₹11 lakh to ₹18 lakhReported, and most of those deals are simulator-only. Through an airline or a cadet route it costs ₹25 lakh to ₹35 lakhReported. Whichever kind you look at, do not pay for one until an airline asks you to.
Ready Aviator · Figures checked 9 October 2026
Open-market deals and airline-linked packages
An open-market rating is what facilitators advertise: a block of full-flight simulator time, the ground course on the type's systems, and a skill test with an examiner. Base training, the take-offs and landings in the real aircraft, is often separate and arranged later by an airline.
An airline-linked rating costs more because the price carries the route to that airline.
Figures checked 9 October 2026.
Bonds and notice periods
Airlines that train or sponsor pilots tie them in with a bond. ALPA India, the pilots' association, said in July 2026 that cadet bonds run three years or more. DGCA's rules say a co-pilot must give at least six months' notice before leaving an airline, and a commander at least one year.
With junior first officer pay reported at ₹1.5 lakh to ₹2.5 lakhReported a month before tax, a bond of several years can be worth more than your first salaries. Before you sign, get in writing what you would owe for leaving in each year of the bond.
When to buy one
Buy a type rating when an airline asks for one, in a letter that names the type. Students who bought one on the chance of a job report a year or more at home with the rating.
Airlines also hire pilots without one.
An A320 rating is no use to an airline that flies the 737, so buying early means guessing which airline will call. If you hold a CPL and are still waiting, the money does more as a year of living costs than as a rating sitting on your licence.
Common questions
How much does an A320 type rating cost in India?
On the open market, ₹11 lakh to ₹18 lakhReported, usually for a simulator-only package. Through an airline or a cadet route it is ₹25 lakh to ₹35 lakhReported. They are different products, so compare a quote with others of its own kind.
Is a type rating included in the CPL?
No. The type rating is a separate course on one airliner, done after the licence. A cadet programme's fee is the exception, because it covers both.
Does a type rating guarantee an airline job?
No. Airlines pick pilots through their own selection, and a rating bought without an offer often sits unused.
The DGCA papers come long before the jet
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Sources: CAR 7-X-II, clause 3.4; Free Press Journal, 30 Jul 2026.