Why Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman chose Goa after retiring from IAF
Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman, a celebrated Indian Air Force pilot, has retired and joined the regional airline FLY91. He is currently training to operate ATR 72-600 aircraft, marking a transition from military service to commercial aviation.
Why it matters
The career shift of a high-profile military hero highlights the growing trend of defense veterans transitioning into the expanding Indian regional aviation sector.
PANAJI: He shot down a Pakistani F-16 in a dogfight over the LoC, ejected in enemy territory and was held captive for around 60 hours, during which he famously refused to talk about his mission with a polite dignity that disarmed even his captors: “I am sorry, am not supposed to tell you this.”Now, the man who returned home to a hero’s welcome in 2019 and attained cult status for his handlebar moustache has done the quietest thing a war pilot could do: taken premature retirement, moved to laidback Goa and signed up with regional airline FLY91 to ferry holidaymakers on a turboprop.Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman (retd) is currently training abroad on ATR 72-600, a twin turboprop, which FLY91 sources say he may operate on the Goa-Hyderabad sector. “He joined some weeks ago,” a source said.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in