Former IAF Commander & Vir Chakra Awardee Abhinandan Varthaman, Who Shot Down Pak Jet, Retires From IAF And Joins Goa Airline
Abhinandan Varthaman, who became famous after the 2019 aerial combat, has retired from the IAF. Check his career and new aviation role.
Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman has retired from the Indian Air Force and now he has started a new career in civil aviation.
As per reports, has joined Goa-based regional airline FLY91 as a pilot in August 2026.
Varthaman has become a household name in India after he faced Pakistan in 2019 in an aerial combat. He received the Vir Chakra for his actions that day and took a retirement from the IAF on March 31, 2026, after nearly serving for 22 years.
Who is Abhinandan Varthaman?
Abhinandan Varthaman is 43 years old and he held the rank of Group Captain before he retired. He was a fighter pilot with the Indian Air Force and also received a Vir Chakra which is India's third-highest wartime gallantry honour.
Abhinandan Varthaman Retires From IAF
Varthaman has left the IAF on March 31, 2026 after 22 years of service in the force. His final rank was Group Captain and he was promoted to this rank in December 2021.
What is Abhinandan's New Career?
Varthaman has joined FLY91 which is a Goa-based regional airline. He reportedly joined the airline in August 2026.
He is currently undergoing the training required for commercial flight operations. FLY91 operates ATR 72-600 aircraft and this airline has bases in Goa and Hyderabad.
He has not yet started flying passengers. Reports mention that he is still completing his type training and regulatory clearances.
How Abhinandan Was Captured and Returned to India?
His MiG-21 was hit during an aerial engagement with Pakistan. He ejected from the aircraft and landed in Pakistan-administered territory.
He was captured by Pakistani forces soon after landing and was held for around three days.
Pakistan released him on March 1, 2019. He crossed back into India at the Wagah border and his release was widely covered across Indian media.
Abhinandan Varthaman's Education and Early Life
Varthaman comes from a family with deep roots in the armed forces. His father, Simhakutty Varthaman, is a retired IAF Air Marshal and his mother is a doctor.
He completed his schooling at Sainik School, Amaravathinagar, in Tamil Nadu and then went on to the National Defence Academy for his military training.
He was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF as a flying officer on June 19, 2004. He trained at IAF centres in Bathinda and Halwara. He flew the Su-30 MKI before moving to the MiG-21 Bison squadron.
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