Abhinandan, shot down by PAF in 2019, retires from IAF: report

Abhinandan, shot down by PAF in 2019, retires from IAF: report.

Key points

• News Desk Published September 3, 2026 Updated September 3, 2026 06: 37pm.
• The Press Trust of India report asserted that Abhinandan joined the private airline in August.
• The after day, Islamabad carried out strikes from Pakistani airspace targeting military installations throughout 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.
• According to the broadcaster, Abhinandan joined a Goa-based regional carrier FLY91.

News Desk Published September 3, 2026 Updated September 3, 2026 06: 37pm. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Abhinandan Varthaman. This person 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 documented.

According to the broadcaster, Abhinandan joined a Goa-based regional carrier FLY91. It began operations in March 2024 and at present 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. It quoted sources.

For context, the Press Trust of India report asserted that Abhinandan joined the private airline in August.

"So far, Varthaman has not issued any statement on the matter. A FLY91 spokesperson additionally refused to release any personal information concerning employees, saying it is a private matter, " NDTV adds.

After an attack in India-occupied Kashmir's Pulwama area asserted the lives of 44 Indian paramilitary personnel, Indian forces rolled out air strikes on Balakot in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, claiming to have hit a camp operated by a banned organisation, in February 2019.

In practice, 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.

Meanwhile, the after day, Islamabad carried out strikes from Pakistani airspace targeting military installations throughout the Line of Control (LoC).

In practice, 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 remarked. "The officers of the Pakistani Army have looked after me particularly well. They are thorough gentlemen, starting from the captain who rescued me from the mob."

Abhinandan was additionally holding a cup of tea in the video. It he stated was "fantastic".

On March 2, 2019, Abhinandan was published 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 afterwards, 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, nevertheless, has never publicly maintained the kill.

Then Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations Major General Asif Ghafoor remarked 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 authorities 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 an official note issued a day after Abhinandan was given the Vir Chakra medal by then-Indian president Ram Nath Kovind, the Foreign Office remarked the move was done to "hide embarrassment".

In short, abhinandan, shot down by PAF in 2019, retires from IAF: report is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.