Former Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain and Vir Chakra recipient Abhinandan Varthaman has reportedly joined Goa-based regional airline FLY91 as a pilot, according to sources.
Varthaman shot down a Pakistani fighter jet during an aerial engagement in 2019 and was subsequently held captive in Pakistan for three days. In recognition of his actions, he was awarded the Vir Chakra in 2021, India’s third-highest wartime gallantry honour.
Sources cited by PTI said Varthaman joined FLY91 in August. However, the airline’s spokesperson declined to comment, stating that information about employees is considered private. No further details were immediately available.
According to his Vir Chakra citation, Varthaman demonstrated an “exceptional sense of duty” during the 2019 aerial combat.
FLY91 began commercial operations in March 2024 and currently operates a fleet of six ATR 72-600 aircraft. The airline has two bases, in Goa and Hyderabad.
In November 2021, Group Captain Varthaman was awarded the Vir Chakra by then-President Ram Nath Kovind.
What Happened on February 27, 2019?
Varthaman was part of a team comprising six MiG-21 Bison pilots who took off from Srinagar, along with Su-30 MKIs, MiG-29s and Mirage 2000s from other Indian Air Force stations, in response to Pakistan’s airspace violation on February 27, a day after the IAF’s aerial strikes on terror camps in Balakot.
According to reports, the dogfight lasted for about 15 minutes, during which the IAF pilot managed to “lock on” to a PAF F-16 and fired an R-73 missile.
During the aerial combat, Varthaman fired a Vympel R-73 air-to-air missile at the Pakistani F-16 before his own aircraft was hit. After ejecting from his MiG-21 Bison, his parachute drifted into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), where he was taken into custody by the Pakistani Army.
The IAF officer was released by Pakistan on March 1, nearly 60 hours after being captured.
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