The Indian Air Force has announced the AFCAT 01/2026 recruitment drive to fill 340 officer vacancies across Flying, Ground Duty (Technical & Non-Technical), and NCC Special Entry branches. The online application process will begin on 17 November 2025 and continue until 14 December 2025. The AFCAT 2026 examination is scheduled to be conducted on 31 January 2026
Vacancy Details
| Vacancies | ||||||
| Entry | Branch | Course Number | Men (PC) | Women (PC) | Men (SSC) | Women(SSC) |
| Flying | 221/27/F/SSC/M&W | — | — | 34 | 04 | |
| AFCAT Entry | Ground Duty (Technical) | 220/27 T/PC/110AEC/M&W 220/27 T/SSC/110AEC/M&W | AE(L):03 AE(M):03 | AE(L): 100 AE(M):38 | AE(L): | AE(L): 23 AE(M):09 |
| AFCAT Entry | Ground Duty (Non-Technical) | 220/27 G/SSC/M&W | — | — | Weapon System s (WS) Branch: 21Admin:-12Lgs: 09Accts:08-Edn: 02-Met: 01 | Weapon System s (WS) Branch: 05-Admin: 12-Lgs: 02 Accts: 02 Edn: 02 Met: 02 |
| NCC Special Entry | Flying | 221/27/F/PC/M and 221/27/F/SSC/M&W | 10% seats out of CDSE vacancies for PC and 10% seats out of AFCAT vacancies for SSC |
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has announced recruitment for 340 commissioned officer posts under its AFCAT 01/2026 notification, covering Flying, Ground Duty (Technical/Non-Technical) and NCC Special Entry branches. Applications open on 17 November 2025 and will close on 14 December 2025. The age limit is 20-26 years and eligible candidates should have any graduate, BE/BTech or post-graduate qualification. A fee of ₹550 plus GST is applicable
Age Limit
| Post Name | Age Limit |
| Flying Branch | Min – 20 Max – 24 |
| Ground Duty (Technical/ Non-Technical) Branches | Min – 20 Max – 26 |
For the Indian Air Force AFCAT 01/2026 notification, the minimum age for the Flying Branch is 20 years, and the maximum is 24 years. For the Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) Branches, the minimum age limit is 20 years, while the maximum age limit is 26 years.
Application Fee
| Examination For AFCAT Entry | Rs. 550/- + GST (Non-refundable) |
| For NCC Special Entry | NIL |
Candidates are required to pay the prescribed application fee as per their category through online mode using a debit card, a credit card, or net banking. The fee once paid will not be refunded under any circumstances. Applicants should ensure payment before the closing date of the application.
Qualification
| Post Name | Qualification |
| Flying Branch | Candidates must have completed Graduation with Physics and Mathematics at the 10+2 level or hold a BE/B.Tech degree. |
| Ground Duty (Technical) | Requires a BE/B.Tech degree in specified engineering disciplines. |
| Ground Duty (Non-Technical) | Requires Graduation or Post-Graduation in relevant fields such as Administration, Accounts, Logistics, or Education. |
As per the AFCAT 01/2026 notification, those who want to apply for Commissioned Officer vacancies in the Indian Air Force (IAF) should satisfy the Enrolled candidates educational qualifications. Candidates should have completed a Graduate / BE/BTech / Post-Graduate from an accredited university. Educational Qualifications~ For Flying and Ground Duty (Technical/Non-Technical) branches assigned: Candidates must meet appropriate education standards in subjects that are mandatory as well as the degree mentioned here.
Salary
| Post Name | Salary |
| Flying Officer | Pay as per Defence Matrix: Rs. 56100-177500 |
| MSP | Rs. 15500 |
The Flying Branch is paid according to Defence Pay Matrix Apply as per IAF AFCAT-01/2026) (₹ 56,100- 1,77,500 ) [Level 10] Payscale. There is also a Military Service Pay (MSP) of ₹15,500 per month. During training a stipend of ₹56,100 is provided to the Flight Cadets for a period of one year. After completion of training, various allowances such as flying, transport and technical are also applicable according to the service in which you are serving. Risk, Hardship, Test Pilot & certain location based allowances are also admissible. For more details refer the Official Notice
Important Dates & Links
| Application Starting Date | 17-11-2025 |
| Last Date of Application | 14-12-2025 |
| Official Website | Link |
| Official Notification | Link |
How to Apply
- Aspirants for IAF are required to apply online by using the link https://afcat.edcil.co.in
- Aadhaar Card is mandatory for online registration.
- Applicants need to exercise utmost care while filling in the online application. In case any information is found to be incorrect, the candidature is liable to be cancelled at any stage of the selection process.
- Please verify the correctness of information entered in all the fields before proceeding with the “Submit” option. Applicants will not be able to edit the previous details entered after the “Submit” option.
- If an applicant has submitted more than one application, only the latest submitted application form against a particular Aadhaar Number, will be considered for issue of Admit Card.
