Former IAF Pilot Abhinandan Varthaman Joins Private Airline FLY91

Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman has retired from the Indian Air Force (IAF) after 22 years of service and joined the Goa based regional carrier FLY91 as a commercial pilot. Reports indicate that Varthaman took premature retirement on March 31 and joined the private airline in August. FLY91 currently operates a fleet of six ATR 72 600 aircraft and plans to expand its fleet to 60 aircraft.

Varthaman gained international prominence in February 2019 during a military confrontation between India and Pakistan. Following an Indian airstrike on Balakot in response to the Pulwama attack, a dogfight occurred in which Varthaman's MiG 21 Bison was shot down, forcing him to eject into Pakistani territory. He was held captive by Pakistani forces for approximately 60 hours before being released on March 1, 2019. For his actions during the battle, he was awarded the Vir Chakra, India's third highest wartime gallantry award.

The details of the 2019 aerial engagement are framed differently depending on the political lean of the reporting. Center right sources describe the event as a historic achievement, stating that Varthaman shot down a Pakistani F 16 fighter jet before his own aircraft was hit. In contrast, center left reporting notes that Pakistan and foreign media outlets have debunked the claim that an F 16 was downed. This perspective cites a Foreign Policy magazine interview with US defense officials who confirmed all F 16s were accounted for, as well as statements from the Pakistani military claiming missile seeker heads from the MiG 21 were recovered intact.