Abhinandan Varthaman, 2019 Dogfight Hero, Retires From IAF, Takes Up Commercial Flying

Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman, the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot who became a national icon during the 2019 aerial confrontation with Pakistan, has taken premature retirement from service. The Vir Chakra awardee has reportedly joined Goa-based regional airline FLY91 as a commercial pilot.

Varthaman, who served in the IAF for 22 years, is said to have joined the airline in August. FLY91, which began operations in March 2024, operates a fleet of six ATR 72-600 aircraft from bases in Goa and Hyderabad. Neither Varthaman nor the airline has issued an official statement on the development.

Varthaman's fame stems from the events of February 27, 2019, when his MiG-21 Bison was shot down during a dogfight with the Pakistan Air Force. Before ejecting, he had downed a Pakistani F-16 fighter. He was captured and held in Pakistan for three days before being released on the night of March 1.

The confrontation followed Indian air strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammad training camp in Balakot, a response to the Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel. The subsequent aerial engagement raised fears of a full-scale war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Later in 2019, Varthaman was conferred the Vir Chakra, India's third-highest wartime gallantry medal. The award citation recognised his "exceptional sense of duty" during the aerial combat.