Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman, the Indian Air Force officer whose MiG-21 was downed during a dogfight with Pakistani jets in February 2019, has opted for premature retirement from the force after 22 years of service, according to a PTI report citing unnamed sources.
The report says Varthaman has joined FLY91, a Goa-headquartered regional airline, as a commercial pilot, having reportedly taken up the role in August. FLY91 launched operations in March 2024 and runs a modest fleet of six ATR 72-600 turboprops between bases in Goa and Hyderabad, focusing on connecting smaller, underserved airports across India.
Varthaman shot to national prominence in February 2019 when his MiG-21 Bison was hit during an aerial engagement following the Balakot airstrikes, after he had reportedly downed a Pakistani F-16. He ejected into Pakistan-administered territory and was held for roughly 60 hours before being released. Later that year, he was awarded the Vir Chakra, India’s third-highest wartime gallantry decoration, for his conduct during the encounter. He was promoted to Group Captain in 2021.
Neither Varthaman nor the airline has issued an on-record statement confirming the move. A FLY91 spokesperson, responding to queries, said the company does not comment on individual employees’ personal details.
If confirmed, the transition would mark the latest step in a career that has taken Varthaman from fighter squadrons in Srinagar and Pathankot to a training role on the MiG-21 fleet before its eventual phase-out — and now, reportedly, to the cockpit of a civilian turboprop.
