India’s Chimes Aviation Academy (CAA), which operates two flight training bases, reported a record 35,000 flying hours in 2025. This milestone underscores the academy’s operational growth and its significant contribution to pilot training in the country. The academy surpassed its previous year’s flying hours by over 6,000 hours, reflecting increased aircraft utilization and training capacity.
In 2025, CAA was ranked as the leading Flying Training Organisation in India based on safety, compliance, operational performance, and student support, according to the DGCA’s initial rankings. The academy trained 185 CPL cadets, becoming the largest domestic contributor to India’s pilot ecosystem, and marked six years of partnership with IndiGo, supporting its fleet and network expansion with nearly 160 cadets inducted.
Further advancing its training programs, CAA launched the CAA–IndiGo Flying Instructor Programme, onboarding its first batch in February 2025 with instructors exceeding 500 flying hours. The fleet was expanded, increasing training capacity to approximately 250 cadets annually, and a new Ground Training School was inaugurated to enhance ground-based instruction by around 30%, streamlining the entire training workflow.
"While these figures are impressive, the real achievement lies in the commitment of our instructors, maintenance teams, and operations staff. Their dedication ensures safe, continuous training under all conditions and maintains operational excellence,"
said Aniruddha Bose, VP for Operations at CAA.
These developments affirm CAA’s ongoing growth strategy and its role as a key player in India’s aviation training sector. The academy’s focus remains on expanding capacity, enhancing safety standards, and fostering pilot excellence for India’s expanding aviation industry.
