GUWAHATI: Former Indian Air Force Group Captain and Vir Chakra awardee Abhinandan Varthaman has joined a private airline as a pilot, according to a report.
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Varthaman, who became widely known after shooting down a Pakistani fighter jet during an aerial engagement in 2019, joined the Goa-based regional airline FLY91 in August, the report said.
Varthaman has not issued any statement regarding his new role so far. A spokesperson for FLY91 also declined to share any personal information about its employees, saying it was a private matter.
Varthaman was a Wing Commander in the IAF when he took part in the aerial engagement with Pakistan on February 27, 2019, a day after Indian Air Force Mirage-2000 fighter jets carried out strikes on targets in Pakistan’s Balakot. The strikes came in response to the February 14, 2019, Pulwama suicide attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
During the February 27 aerial engagement, Varthaman shot down a Pakistani F-16 before his own MiG-21 Bison was hit by a missile, forcing him to eject from the aircraft.
He was subsequently captured by Pakistani forces after landing in Pakistan. He was released and handed back to India on March 1, 2019, after spending nearly 60 hours in captivity.
Later that year, Varthaman was awarded the Vir Chakra, India’s third-highest wartime gallantry award, for displaying an “exceptional sense of duty” during the aerial engagement, according to the award citation.
FLY91 began operations in March 2024 and currently operates six ATR 72-600 aircraft. The airline has bases in Goa and Hyderabad.