Varthaman was honoured with the Vir Chakra for his actions during the aerial combatIt is India’s third-highest wartime gallantry award, after the Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra.
Published: September 3, 2026, 7:40 AM IST
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Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman, who became widely known after shooting down a Pakistani F-16 during an aerial fight along the Line of Control (LoC) in 2019, has left the Indian Air Force (IAF) and joined private airline FLY91, officials familiar with the development said on Wednesday.
Varthaman retired from the IAF on March 31 and later joined FLY91 as a pilot in August, according to the officialsThey spoke on the condition of anonymityFLY91 is a regional airline that began operations in March 2024It currently has six ATR 72-600 aircraft and operates from two bases — Goa and Hyderabad.
When contacted, a spokesperson for FLY91 declined to comment on Varthaman’s employment, saying details about employees are private.
Abhinandan’s 2019 Air Combat
Varthaman made headlines around the world after an aerial battle with Pakistani fighter jets on February 27, 2019The incident took place a day after Indian Air Force Mirage-2000 fighter jets carried out an airstrike on a target in Balakot, Pakistan.
The Balakot operation was conducted following the February 14, 2019, Pulwama terror attack, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
At the time of the dogfight, Varthaman was a Wing Commander and was flying a MiG-21 BisonDuring the encounter, he managed to shoot down a Pakistani F-16Moments later, his own aircraft was struck by a missile, forcing him to eject.
The incident was seen as a significant moment in military aviationVarthaman was credited with becoming the first pilot to shoot down an F-16 using a MiG-21 Bison, an older-generation fighter aircraft.
After ejecting, he landed in Pakistani territory and was taken into custody by Pakistani forcesHe was handed back to India on March 1, 2019, after spending nearly 60 hours in captivity.
Why Abhinandan Was Awarded Vir Chakra
Varthaman was later honoured with the Vir Chakra for his actions during the aerial combatIt is India’s third-highest wartime gallantry award, after the Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra.
His official award citation, published in the Gazette of India in December 2019, praised his courage during the encounterIt said he engaged the Pakistani aircraft despite facing a much larger and technologically superior enemy force.
The citation noted that his aggressive flying and manoeuvres disrupted the opposing aircraft formation and created confusion among the enemy pilots.
At the time, Varthaman was posted with a MiG-21 Bison squadron and was serving on operational readiness duty at the Srinagar airbaseWhen a large group of Pakistani fighter aircraft was detected moving towards the LoC, he was sent to intercept them about five minutes later.
How Varthaman Shot Down The F-16
According to his Vir Chakra citation, Varthaman followed a Pakistani fighter that was moving away from the areaAn aerial engagement then took place, during which he fired at and brought down the F-16.
The citation also said that during the fight, another Pakistani aircraft launched several beyond-visual-range missilesOne of those missiles struck Varthaman’s MiG-21 Bison, leaving him with no option but to eject over enemy territory.
Varthaman’s actions during the 2019 encounter made him one of the most recognisable faces of the Balakot-era India-Pakistan tensions.
