Seven years after becoming a national hero, fighter pilot Abhinandan Varthaman is starting a brand-new chapter — this time flying passengers, not fighter jets.
The former Group Captain and Vir Chakra awardee has left the Indian Air Force after 22 years of service and joined FLY91, a small airline based in Goa, as a commercial pilot. According to news agency PTI, he joined the airline in August. Neither Varthaman nor the airline has said much about it publicly — FLY91 says it’s a private matter and hasn’t shared more details.
Here’s why his name is so well known. Back in February 2019, a suicide bomber killed 40 Indian security personnel in Pulwama, Kashmir. In response, India carried out air strikes on a militant training camp in Pakistan. The next day, Pakistan struck back, and the two countries came dangerously close to war. Right in the middle of it all was Wing Commander Varthaman. During an air battle, he shot down a Pakistani fighter jet — but his own plane was hit soon after. He had to eject, got injured in the process, and landed on the Pakistani side of the border, where he was held for three days before being released. His capture and safe return became the most talked-about moment of the entire crisis. Later that year, India honoured him with the Vir Chakra, one of the country’s highest wartime bravery awards.
Now, instead of flying a fighter jet, he’s training to fly the ATR 72-600 — a small passenger plane that makes up FLY91’s entire fleet of six aircraft. The airline flies out of just two cities, Goa and Hyderabad, and mainly connects smaller towns that don’t get much flight access. FLY91 itself is still fairly new, having started flying only in March 2024.
It’s a much quieter job than combat flying — but for a pilot already known for staying calm under huge pressure, it might suit him just fine.
Headlyne app makes sure that as soon as a headline is created, it reaches straight to your phone without wasting any time! Stay curious and informed with us.
Download the Headlyne app today.
