Chimes Aviation Academy Expands 2026 Fleet by 7 Piper Aircraft to Support Growing Cadet Volumes

India – Chimes Aviation Academy (CAA), one of India's leading DGCA-approved flying training groups, has added seven Piper Archer aircraft to its training fleet in Q1 — a substantial expansion that reflects the academy's accelerating fleet growth to support rising cadet volumes under the CAA IndiGo Cadet Pilot Program.

• The seven-aircraft addition significantly scales CAA's training capacity. The academy previously operated a fleet of approximately 27 modern training aircraft across its two airbases — Dhana and Neemuch — in Madhya Pradesh. The combined additions in 2026 bring the fleet total to approximately 34 aircraft.
• The fleet expansion is directly aligned with the record-breaking growth of the IndiGo Cadet Pilot Program. In March 2026, CAA inducted Batch ICP 11 with 67 cadets — the largest single intake in the program's history — up from 47 cadets in Batch ICP 10 (January 2026).
• The CAA IndiGo Cadet Pilot Program was launched in 2019 and has since produced hundreds of cockpit-ready pilots. In November 2025, CAA and IndiGo marked six years of continuous collaboration, positioning the program as one of the longest-running airline-specific cadet pilot training partnerships in India.

Source: Chimes Aviation Academy