New Delhi, Jun 20 (IANS): Leading low-cost carrier IndiGo has partnered with Garuda Aviation Academy to train fresh pilots as future junior first officers, under the airline's Cadet Pilot Program.

This is the eighth partnership for cadet pilot program by IndiGo in the last 13 years, the airline said on Thursday.

The 21-month course also includes three-month ground schooling at Garuda Aviation Academy training centre in Gurugram, followed by 12-months of training at 43 Air School in South Africa, which has a track record of training 6,000 plus ab-initio pilots over the years, according to an IndiGo statement.

Over the past 13 years, IndiGo has inducted over 1,000 pilots through these full training programmes, which include commercial pilot license and A320 type rating, the statement added.

Captain Ashim Mittra, IndiGo's senior vice president-flight operations, said: "This initiative also aligns with the Government of India's UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) mission, fortifying our commitment to connecting with smaller and medium-sized towns and cities. At IndiGo, we focus on the personal and professional growth of our pilots."