Abhinandan Varthaman’s new career after leaving Indian Air Force revealed

Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Abhinandan Varthaman who became internationally known after being captured by Pakistan following the 2019 aerial confrontation between the two countries has reportedly retired from the Indian Air Force and joined a private airline as a commercial pilot.

Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Abhinandan Varthaman who became internationally known after being captured by Pakistan following the 2019 aerial confrontation between the two countries has reportedly retired from the Indian Air Force and joined a private airline as a commercial pilot.

According to Indian broadcaster NDTV, Abhinandan has joined FLY91, a regional airline based in Goa. The airline began operations in March 2024 and currently operates ATR 72-600 aircraft.

Citing The Press Trust of India (PTI), NDTV reported that Abhinandan, a former group captain and recipient of India’s Vir Chakra military award, served in the IAF for 22 years. The report said he joined FLY91 in August.

Neither Abhinandan nor the airline has publicly confirmed details of his employment. A spokesperson for FLY91 reportedly declined to provide personal information about its employees, describing the matter as private.

Abhinandan came to prominence during the Pakistan-India military confrontation in February 2019. Following the Pulwama attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir, India carried out air strikes near Balakot in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, claiming that it had targeted a militant camp.

Pakistan rejected the Indian claims regarding the results of the strike. The following day Pakistan conducted air operations across the Line of Control leading to an aerial engagement between the two countries.

During the ensuing confrontation, Pakistan said it had shot down two Indian military aircraft and captured Abhinandan after his MiG-21 fighter crashed. He remained in Pakistani custody for three days before being released on March 1, 2019, and handed back to India at the Wagah border.

During his captivity a video of Abhinandan circulated in which he praised the treatment he received from Pakistani military personnel. He described the officers who handled his case as professional and courteous and also famously commented positively on the cup of tea he was served.

In 2021, India awarded Abhinandan the Vir Chakra its third-highest wartime military decoration for his actions during the 2019 confrontation. Indian authorities also associated the award with a claim that he had shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet.

Pakistan has repeatedly rejected that claim, while foreign reporting has also questioned it. Pakistan’s military said missile seeker heads recovered from the wreckage of Abhinandan’s MiG-21 indicated that its missiles had not been fired. Foreign Policy also reported that two US defence officials had confirmed that Pakistan’s F-16 fleet had been accounted for after the confrontation.

Abhinandan did not publicly claim that he had shot down an F-16.

His reported move into commercial aviation marks a new chapter in the career of a pilot who became a prominent figure following one of the most serious military confrontations between Pakistan and India in recent years.