Abhinandan Varthaman retires from IAF and joins FLY91, after 2019 India-Pakistan crisis

Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was held captive for three days after Pakistan shot down his MiG-21 fighter during Operation Swift Retort in February 2019, has retired from the force and joined a private airline as a commercial pilot, Indian broadcaster NDTV reported. According to the broadcaster, Abhinandan joined a Goa-based regional carrier FLY91, which began operations in March 2024 and currently operates a fleet of six ATR 72-600 aircraft. “The former group captain and Vir Chakra awardee, who served in the Air Force for 22 years, has joined Goa-based regional airline FLY91 as a pilot,” NDTV reports citing The Press Trust of India, which quoted sources. The Press Trust of India report claimed that Abhinandan joined the private airline in August. “So far, Varthaman has not issued any statement on the matter. A FLY91 spokesperson also refused to release any personal information about employees, saying it is a private matter,” NDTV adds. In February 2019, after an attack in India-occupied Kashmir’s Pulwama area claimed the lives of 44 Indian paramilitary personnel, Indian forces launched air strikes on Balakot in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, claiming to have hit a camp operated by a banned organisation. The Indian air strikes caused “no casualties and no damage on the ground due to the bombs being dropped”, according to the region’s police chief. The following day, Islamabad carried out strikes from Pakistani airspace targeting military installations across the Line of Control (LoC). In an ensuing air battle, two Indian aircraft were shot down, with Pakistan capturing Indian pilot Abhinandan and holding him in custody for three days. A video statement then emerged of Abhinandan, lauding the Pakistani military for the treatment meted out to him after his arrest. “I would like to put this on recordl, and I will not change my statement if I go back to my country also,” he said. “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.” Abhinandan was also holding a cup of tea in the video, which he said was “fantastic”. On March 2, 2019, Abhinandan was released and crossed over the Wagah Border to return to India, in a move aimed at de-escalating tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi. Two years later, Abhinandan was conferred the Vir Chakra — India’s third-highest military honour — for his actions during the 2019 air battle and for reportedly shooting down a Pakistani F-16 — a claim that has been debunked by Pakistan and foreign media outlets. Abhinandan, however, has never publicly claimed the kill. Then Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations Major General Asif Ghafoor said all four “missile seeker heads” were recovered intact from the wreckage of the Indian pilot’s MiG-21 fighter jet, implying that they were never fired. Foreign Policy magazine interviewed two US defence officials with “knowledge of the count” of Pakistan’s F-16 jets and both confirmed that all the F-16s were “present and accounted for”. In a statement issued a day after Abhinandan was given the Vir Chakra medal by then-Indian president Ram Nath Kovind, the Foreign Office said the move was done to “hide [India’s] embarrassment”.

New Delhi: Long before he traded his fighter helmet for the calm cockpit of a regional commercial airliner, Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman was the man who turned an ordinary morning into an absolute diplomatic nightmare for Islamabad.As the decorated war hero steps into civilian aviation with Goa-based FLY91, a throwback to late February 2019 serves as a stark reminder of how a cornered Pakistan scrambled to release him, terrified of the catastrophic consequences of keeping him. From Downing A Pakistani Jet To Flying Passengers: Former Indian Air Force Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman Joins FLY91How Abhinandan Ended Up In Pakistan?The crisis began on February 26, 2019, when IAF Mirage 2000 fighter jets carried out an airstrike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror facility in Balakot, days after the Pulwama terror attack. India said the operation targeted a terror training camp.The following morning, Pakistani fighter aircraft attempted a retaliatory strike against Indian military targets, leading to an aerial engagement along the Line of Control.Varthaman, then a Wing Commander, was flying a MiG-21 Bison when he engaged Pakistani aircraft. During the encounter, his MiG-21 was hit and he was forced to eject over Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He was later captured by Pakistani forces. His capture immediately became a major flashpoint between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. India demanded his safe and immediate return, while concerns grew that the confrontation could escalate into a wider military conflict.Pakistan initially presented Varthaman’s release as a 'peace gesture'. However, accounts that emerged later suggested that Islamabad was under intense pressure amid fears of further Indian military action.In October 2020, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Ayaz Sadiq made explosive claims in the National Assembly about the circumstances surrounding Varthaman’s release. Sadiq alleged that then-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had warned during a high-level meeting that India could attack Pakistan that night if the captured pilot was not released.Sadiq also claimed that then-Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa was visibly anxious during the meeting. These remarks became a major political controversy in Pakistan, although several details surrounding the crisis have been disputed and differently reported.India's Alleged Military Preparedness To 'Bring Back' AbhinandanOther accounts have pointed to the scale of India’s military preparedness during the standoff. According to an India Today report, India had positioned nine missiles targeting locations in Pakistan and was prepared for further military action if the situation escalated.The Indian Navy also adopted an aggressive posture in the Arabian Sea during the crisis, deploying warships as part of its preparations and demonstrating its ability to exert pressure beyond the immediate air confrontation. The naval mobilisation added another dimension to the military pressure being exerted on Pakistan.India also reportedly chose not to rely on international intermediaries to negotiate Varthaman’s release. Instead, New Delhi maintained that the captured pilot had to be returned safely and without conditions.Balakot air strike hero Abhinandan Varthaman awarded with Vir Chakra Amid the mounting tensions, Pakistan announced on February 28 that Varthaman would be released. He was returned to India through the Attari-Wagah border crossing on the night of March 1, 2019, after spending nearly three days in Pakistani custody.Images of Varthaman walking across the border with his trademark handlebar moustache and composed demeanour quickly became iconic. His return was widely celebrated in India and turned him into a national symbol of courage and resilience. Varthaman was later awarded the Vir Chakra, India’s third-highest wartime gallantry award, for his actions during the February 27 aerial engagement.Delhi: Wing Commander (now Group Captain) Abhinandan Varthaman being accorded the Vir Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind, for shooting down a Pakistani F-16 fighter aircraft during aerial combat on February 27, 2019. pic.twitter.com/vvbpAYuaJX— ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2021 Years later, his career has taken a dramatically different direction. After taking premature retirement from the IAF, Varthaman has reportedly joined Goa-based regional airline FLY91 as a commercial pilot.The move marks a striking transition from flying a MiG-21 fighter in a high-stakes aerial confrontation to operating commercial turboprop aircraft. Yet his name remains closely associated with the tense February-March 2019 confrontation, when the capture of one Indian pilot became the centre of a rapidly escalating military and diplomatic crisis between India and Pakistan.

New Delhi: Former Indian Air Force Group Captain and Vir Chakra awardee Abhinandan Varthaman has joined Goa-based regional airline FLY91 as a pilot, according to sources. Varthaman, who downed an enemy jet during an aerial combat with Pakistan in 2019 and was held captive for three days in that country, was honoured with the Vir Chakra award in 2021. The sources told PTI that Varthaman joined the airline as a pilot in August. When contacted, a FLY91 spokesperson said personal information about employees is a private matter and did not comment. Swara Bhasker Faces Protest In Agra Over ‘Johar’ Remarks, ₹1.51 Lakh Reward Announced For Cutting Her Tongue Further details could not be immediately ascertained. The fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force was decorated with Vir Chakra -- India's third-highest wartime gallantry medal -- for displaying an "exceptional sense of duty" during the dogfight, as per the award citation. FLY91, which started flying in March 2024, currently operates a fleet of six ATR 72-600 aircraft. The airline's two bases are Goa and Hyderabad. (Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)