IAF
Balakot hero Abhinandan Varthaman, who shot down Pak F-16, retires from IAF, joins private airline
Indian Air Force fighter pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who became a prominent figure during the 2019 India-Pakistan military confrontation, has reportedly retired prematurely from the IAF and begun a new career in commercial aviation.
The former Group Captain and Vir Chakra awardee has joined Goa-based regional airline FLY91 as a commercial pilot, media reports said.
According to the report, Varthaman joined the private airline in August after completing around 22 years of service with the Indian Air Force.
Neither Varthaman nor FLY91 has publicly confirmed the development.
A spokesperson for the airline declined to share information about individual employees, describing such details as a private matter.
From fighter cockpit to commercial aviation
FLY91 began commercial operations in March 2024 and is a regional airline based in Goa.
The carrier currently operates six ATR 72-600 aircraft and has bases in Goa and Hyderabad.
Varthaman’s reported move marks a transition from military fighter aviation to commercial flying after more than two decades in the Indian Air Force.
He rose to international prominence in February 2019 following an aerial confrontation between Indian and Pakistani fighter aircraft, becoming one of the most recognisable faces of the crisis between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Varthaman was captured after aerial combat
The events unfolded after India conducted air strikes against a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) training facility in Balakot, Pakistan, in response to the February 14, 2019, Pulwama suicide bombing that killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel.
Pakistan launched a retaliatory air operation the following day, triggering an aerial confrontation with Indian fighter aircraft and raising fears of a wider military escalation.
On February 27, Varthaman, then a Wing Commander, was involved in the aerial engagement.
India has maintained that he shot down a Pakistani F-16 before his own MiG-21 Bison was hit.
Varthaman ejected from the aircraft and landed in Pakistan-occupied territory, where he was captured by Pakistani forces.
He remained in Pakistani custody for three days before Pakistan released him on the night of March 1, 2019, following intense diplomatic pressure and amid heightened tensions between the two countries.
Awarded Vir Chakra for role in dogfight
Varthaman sustained injuries after ejecting from his aircraft during the aerial engagement but subsequently returned to India.
Later in 2019, he was awarded the Vir Chakra, India’s third-highest wartime gallantry award, for his actions during the February 27 aerial combat.
According to the award citation, Varthaman displayed an “exceptional sense of duty” during the operation.
His capture and subsequent release became one of the defining episodes of the 2019 India-Pakistan military crisis, with images of the pilot in Pakistani custody receiving widespread attention in India and abroad.
A new chapter after 22 years in IAF
Varthaman’s reported retirement from the Indian Air Force now brings an end to a military aviation career spanning approximately 22 years.
His move to FLY91 places him in India’s expanding regional aviation sector, where ATR 72-600 aircraft are used for short-haul and regional routes.
The airline currently operates from its two bases in Goa and Hyderabad and began flights in 2024.
There has been no public statement from Varthaman so far regarding his reported retirement or his new role with FLY91.
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