Indian pilot Abhinandan retires from air force and joins commercial airline, report says

Abhinandan Varthaman, the Indian pilot captured by Pakistan after his MiG-21 was shot down in 2019, has left the air force and reportedly begun a new career in commercial aviation.

Indian broadcaster NDTV said Varthaman joined Goa-based regional carrier FLY91 as a pilot in August. The airline began operations in March 2024 and operates six ATR 72-600 aircraft. NDTV cited The Press Trust of India, which in turn cited sources, in reporting that the former group captain and Vir Chakra awardee had joined the company.

Varthaman served in the Indian Air Force for 22 years. He spent three days in Pakistani custody after an air battle that followed Indian strikes on Balakot in February 2019 and Pakistani strikes on military installations across the Line of Control. He returned to India across the Wagah border on March 2, 2019, in a move intended to ease tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi.

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The officers of the Pakistani Army have looked after me very well. They are thorough gentlemen, starting from the captain who rescued me from the mob.

A video recorded after his capture showed Varthaman praising the treatment he received from the Pakistani military. “The officers of the Pakistani Army have looked after me very well. They are thorough gentlemen, starting from the captain who rescued me from the mob,” he said. He also described the cup of tea he was holding as “fantastic”.

India awarded Varthaman the Vir Chakra two years later for his actions during the air battle and for reportedly shooting down a Pakistani F-16. Pakistan and foreign media outlets disputed that claim, and Varthaman has never publicly claimed the kill. NDTV said Varthaman had not issued a statement about joining FLY91, while an airline spokesperson declined to provide employee information, calling it a private matter.

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fantastic