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Abhinandan Varthaman, IAF Pilot Who Shot Down Pak F-16, Retires From Air Force and Joins Goa Airline FLY91
Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman, the IAF pilot who shot down a Pakistani F-16 in the 2019 aerial engagement following the Balakot strikes, has retired from the Indian Air Force and joined Goa-based regional airline FLY91 as a pilot. Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman, the decorated Indian Air Force pilot who became a household name after shooting down a Pakistani F-16 in 2019, has joined Goa-based regional airline FLY91 as a pilot following his retirement from the IAF. "Former Indian Air Force Group Captain and Vir Chakra awardee Abhinandan Varthaman has joined Goa-based regional airline FLY91 as a pilot." Varthaman, who was awarded the Vir Chakra, India's third-highest wartime gallantry award, in 2021 for his actions during the aerial engagement, joined the airline in August 2026. His move to commercial aviation comes after a distinguished career in the IAF. The 2019 Aerial Engagement On February 26, 2019, the IAF carried out an air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed facility in Balakot, Pakistan, days after a terrorist attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama killed 40 personnel. The following day, Pakistani fighter jets attempted to launch an aerial attack, prompting the IAF to scr...
