How to become a Pilot with AirAsia India

Assuming that you already hold a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) or Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL), you may apply directly to AirAsia India as a First Officer. Please always check the airline’s website directly to learn about the minimum requirements to become a First Officer. As of this posting (August 2021), there is currently no information about this on AirAsia India’s website.

To join AirAsia India Cadet Pilot Program, you must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Nationality: Must be of Indian Nationality or hold an overseas citizenship of India
• Education: 10+2 with Physics & Maths or any graduate with a science background with an aggregate of 60%in English, Maths & Physics
• Age: 17 years – “Should have completed 10+2” upto 33 years on the date of application
• Medicals: Ability to hold unrestricted Class 1 & 2 medicals

The Selection for the Cadet Pilot Program consists of 4 phases/stages, namely: Suitability, Proficiency, Aptitude, and Interview which are explained further below. 

First Stage: Suitability

Suitability involves Education, Personality, Medicals, and Work preferences. On this stage, Air Asia partnered with Harrison, a talent management company, to carry out personality assessments. This is the first stage of assessment and takes approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete the questions. This is a non-Technical personality assessment.

Second Stage: Proficiency 

Second Stage is about proficiency which involves Language and Verbal understanding, Numerical proficiency, Critical thinking, and Psychological screening.

The second stage is divided into two parts: Quantitative Critical Thinking & Personality Assessment Screener Test.

Quantitative Critical Thinking is a simultaneous equation maths test, by Harrison team to evaluate the candidates about their understanding, justification, decisiveness and critical thinking.

A fixed time is given to attempt as many questions as possible. Candidates begin the test at basic level, which is simple. Difficulty keeps gradually increasing for each correct answer, similarly the time allowed to answer each question also keeps increasing with the difficulty level . By the time you reach Level 10, you will be given 12 minutes to answer each question. The system auto jumps to the next question if you don’t answer within the given time.

The system will stop you when you fail to answer correctly for 3 consecutive attempts, So utilize the time allotted for each question properly and double check your answers.

The Personality Assessment Screener Test is similar to the Harrison Test. These are simple statements which you need to agree or disagree with. Answer it honestly and you will be able to sail through.

Third Stage: Aptitude

Third stage is about Aptitude which involves hand eye coordination, multi tasking, spatial orientation, and memory. This stage is divided into three parts: Psychomotor, Spatial Orientation, & Physics Test.

If cleared on the first two (2) stages, after about 2-3 weeks, you will be called to move on to this stage. 

Psychomotor is where your multitasking and hand-eye-coordination skills are tested. There is a Primary Task along with Secondary Tasks to be completed in allotted time.

For Example: you need to maintain a cross with a joystick as your primary task while remembering numbers, performing basic math problems, typing numbers that appear on your screen or responding to instruction on your headset as secondary tasks.

Quick tip – you will get a 2 to 3 mins practise run before the test so use wisely to understand the test.

Spatial Orientation is a cube rotation to test your focus and memory.

For Example : An initial position will be displayed at the beginning of the test that you need to memorize. Post which you will be given multiple commands (left, right, front, back) and you need to come up with the final position of the cross in compassion to its position before the commands.

Physics is pretty straight forward. Make sure you’re equipped with Physic knowledge at SPM level. There are about 12 to 15 questions in all.

Fourth Stage: Personal Interview

You will be interviewed by HR and Flight Operations, mostly a Captain. Questions are non-technical in nature and revolve around yourself i.e. why are you applying to the cadet pilot program, why do you want to be a pilot, among others. The interview generally lasts for about 20-30 minutes.

Once Selected for the Cadet Pilot Program, you will be invited with your parents by Air Asia India for an Induction session to share course details, outline, syllabus, fees timelines etc and how to go about each phase/process of the program.

You will spend a few months to finish pre-process, attend ground classes, and prepare for theory papers. Afterwards, you will move to a partner flight school and commence flight training. Once you complete the syllabus and successfully cleared your required flight checks, theory papers and flight skill checks, your documents will be submitted for the issue of your Indian Commercial Pilot License (CPL).

Now that you hold a CPL, you will move to train at one of Air Asia’s simulator training center to train and certify you on Airbus A320 aircraft. This type rating lasts for about 30-45 days. 

Upon completion, you are now an A320 rated pilot and you can now join AirAsia India as 2nd Officer.  

All information herein is obtained from www.the.pilot.in. You may check that page or you may go directly to AirAsia India website to learn more about the Cadet Pilot Program. 

Average AirAsia Captain salary in India is ₹ 93.1 Lakhs for less than 1 year of experience. Captain salary at AirAsia ranges between ₹81 Lakhs to ₹ 120 Lakhs. Data obtained from AmbitionBox.

This page only intends to share any available credible information on how you can become with AirAsia India. The information provided above is based on the official website of AirAsia India. We have provided you with the information as accurately as possible. However, we highly encourage you to always check with AirAsia India directly to keep updated on their hiring statutes, opening of pathway or cadet pilot programs, and additional requirements, if any.

Check out how to become a Pilot in India to know more about the minimum requirements, pilot training options, and airline programs.