Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan after his MiG-21 Bison was shot down by a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jet in February 2019, has taken premature retirement from the Indian Air Force and joined a private airline as a commercial pilot.
Varthaman, who served in the IAF for 22 years, has joined Goa-based regional airline FLY91, according to Indian media reports.
The former Group Captain and Vir Chakra awardee reportedly joined the airline in August. Neither Varthaman nor FLY91 has shared details about his employment, with an airline spokesperson calling employee information a private matter.
Varthaman became known in Pakistan and India after his aircraft was shot down on Feb 27, 2019, following a confrontation between the two air forces. Pakistan said that his aircraft had violated its airspace before the PAF jet brought it down.
Varthaman ejected from the aircraft and landed in Pakistani territory, where he was captured after being chased by locals. Pakistani Army personnel intervened and took him into custody.
He remained in Pakistan for three days before Pakistan handed him over to Indian authorities at the Wagah border on March 1, 2019, in what the government described as a gesture of peace.
Before his release, a video statement featuring Varthaman was broadcast on Pakistani television. In the statement, he praised the Pakistan Army for protecting him after his capture and providing him with medical treatment.
“The Pakistan Army is a very professional service. I see peace in it. I have spent time with the Pakistan Army [and] I am very impressed.”
Varthaman also criticised Indian media coverage of the incident, saying: “Indian media always stretches the truth,” he regretted. “The smallest of things are presented in a very incendiary manner and people get misled.”
FLY91 began operations in March 2024 and currently operates six ATR 72-600 aircraft from its bases in Goa and Hyderabad.
