Former IAF Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman joins regional airline FLY91
2 sources · India
Who reported this
- The Hindu
- Hindustan Times
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
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Every source for this story reports from India.
Former Indian Air Force Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman has joined the Goa based regional airline FLY91 as a pilot. According to officials, Varthaman left the IAF on March 31 and joined the carrier in August. FLY91, which began operations in March 2024, operates a fleet of six ATR 72 600 aircraft with bases in Goa and Hyderabad.
Varthaman is a Vir Chakra awardee, which is India's third highest wartime gallantry medal. He received the honor for his actions during an aerial combat with Pakistan on February 27, 2019. During the engagement, he shot down a Pakistani F 16 fighter jet before his own MiG 21 Bison was hit by a missile, forcing him to eject. He was held captive in Pakistan for approximately 60 hours before being returned to India on March 1, 2019.
Reporting on the event differed slightly in focus based on political lean. The center left source focused on the current employment transition and the airline's operational details. In contrast, the center right source provided extensive military context, emphasizing the technological disparity between the aircraft and the specific tactical details of the 2019 dogfight.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- The reporting focused primarily on the professional transition to the private sector with minimal military backstory.
- Centre-right
- The reporting emphasized the subject's military achievements and provided detailed historical context regarding the conflict with Pakistan.
Sources
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