Qatar Airways
Cadet Pilot Program
Your Gateway to the Skies — Quality! Results!
Quick Answer
What is the Qatar Airways cadet pilot programme?
An ab-initio route: it takes candidates with no licence and trains them towards airline flying. Qatar Airways runs a national programme for Qatari nationals and opens international intakes separately rather than continuously, so the first thing to establish is which intake is open — it decides whether you are eligible at all.
What a cadet programme does not change
If the destination is an Indian commercial licence, these hold on every route: 200 hours as pilot of an aeroplane, 5 written papers (Air Navigation, Aviation Meteorology, Air Regulations, Technical General and Technical Specific) at 70% each, a Class 1 medical, RTR (A), and a minimum age of 18. A cadet programme changes how you are selected and funded — not the licence.
Qatar Airways Cadet Pilot Program – Your Gateway to the Skies
Dreaming of flying for one of the world's most prestigious airlines? The Qatar Airways Cadet Pilot Program offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for aspiring aviators to launch their careers with a globally recognized airline known for excellence, innovation, and international prestige.
This is more than just a training program — it's your direct runway to the cockpit of a Qatar Airways aircraft.
What is the Qatar Airways Cadet Pilot Program?
The Qatar Airways Cadet Pilot Program is a structured and comprehensive training pathway designed to train and qualify future pilots — both Qatari nationals and selected international candidates — from the ground up.
Candidates are chosen through a rigorous selection process and trained to become First Officers with Qatar Airways.
The program focuses on:
- ✓Academic excellence
- ✓Advanced flight training
- ✓Leadership and communication skills
- ✓Safety and operational discipline
Where Does Training Take Place?
Training is conducted at the Qatar Aeronautical Academy (QAA) in Doha — a state-of-the-art aviation institution offering:
- ✓Modern flight simulators
- ✓Advanced training aircraft
- ✓Experienced, industry-leading instructors
- ✓A multicultural aviation environment
Some batches may also complete parts of their training abroad — in the UK, Australia, or South Africa, depending on training phase and capacity.
Eligibility Criteria for the Qatar Airways Cadet Pilot Programme
To apply for the Qatar Airways Cadet Pilot Programme, candidates must meet the following:
Nationality
Qatar Airways runs a national cadet programme for Qatari nationals. International intakes are opened separately and not continuously — which one is open is the first thing to check, because it decides whether you are eligible at all.
Education
A school-leaving qualification with mathematics, physics and English is the usual baseline for an ab-initio cadet route.
Medical Fitness
A Class 1 medical accepted by the regulator that will issue the licence. For a Qatari programme that is the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, not DGCA. If you intend to fly in India afterwards, a DGCA Class 1 and a licence conversion are a separate step to budget for.
Prior Experience
Ab-initio cadet routes are designed for candidates with no previous flying experience.
Age, English scores and fees
Published by the airline per intake, and not reproduced here. We could not verify a current set against a Qatar Airways document on 15 September 2026, and a figure we cannot source is worse than an honest blank. Read the criteria on the airline’s own careers site before you apply or pay anyone to prepare you.
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Eligibility at a Glance
- ✓ 12th with mathematics, English and physics
- ✓ No prior flying experience needed
- ✓ Ab-initio through to airline operation
- ✓ Class 1 medical from the licensing regulator
- — National intake: Qatari nationals
- — International intakes: opened separately
- — Age bands, English scores, fees: per intake, at the source
Program Highlights
Qatar Airways Cadet Program:
People also ask
What is the Qatar Airways cadet pilot programme?
An ab-initio route: it takes candidates with no licence and trains them towards airline flying. Qatar Airways runs a national programme for Qatari nationals and opens international intakes separately rather than continuously, so the first thing to establish is which intake is open — it decides whether you are eligible at all.
Does a cadet programme change what DGCA requires?
No, and this is the part cadet marketing consistently leaves out. If the destination is an Indian commercial licence, the requirements are identical on every route: 200 hours as pilot of an aeroplane, 5 written papers at 70% each, a Class 1 medical, RTR (A), and a minimum age of 18. A cadet programme changes how you are selected and funded, not the licence.
Will a Qatar Airways licence let me fly in India?
Not as it stands. A licence issued under another country’s regulator is not a DGCA licence, and converting it is a required step with its own time and cost that sits outside every training quote. If flying in India is the goal, put the conversion in the plan and the budget from the start.
What should I ask before applying?
Which intake is open and whether your nationality is eligible for it; what the selection stages are and how many attempts you get; what the total cost is and what it excludes; what happens if you do not complete; and what exactly is being promised about employment. Get the answers in writing. How to check any training organisation is set out on our page about that — DGCA publishes an approved list of 41 organisations and ranks them, which is more than most airlines publish about their cadet partners.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Qatar Airways cadet programme open to Indians?
International intakes are opened separately from the national programme and are not continuous. Check the airline’s own careers site for what is open now rather than relying on any coaching page, including this one.
Do I need flying experience to apply?
No. Ab-initio cadet routes are designed for candidates with no previous flying experience — that is what ab-initio means.
What medical do I need?
A Class 1 medical accepted by the regulator that will issue the licence. For a Qatari programme that is the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, not DGCA. This page stated a DGCA medical until 15 September 2026; that was wrong and has been corrected.
Why does this page not list the age limit and fees?
Because we could not verify a current set against a Qatar Airways document. Everything findable was a third-party coaching page restating figures with no citation, and a figure we cannot source is one we will not publish — an age band that is wrong by a year stops someone applying who was eligible.
Does We One Aviation place students into cadet programmes?
We teach the DGCA ground subjects and arrange flight training with partner flying schools. We do not own aircraft or simulators, we do not employ pilots, and we do not place students into airline jobs — hiring decisions rest with the operator.