The former Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter pilot made headlines in 2019 following a military confrontation between India and Pakistan. This conflict occurred shortly after the February 14, 2019, Pulwama attack, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed in a powerful bomb blast. India responded by striking terrorist hideouts within Pakistan to which Pakistan’s armed forces retaliated, escalating the situation into a military confrontation.
Those were the days when Abhinandan Varthaman was a Wing Commander flying a MiG-21 Bison fighter jet. During an aerial engagement, he shot down a Pakistan Air Force F-16 fighter jet (of US origin). However, his own jet was hit badly during the encounter. Although he managed to eject himself but landed in a residential area within Pakistan. He was subsequently taken prisoner and was held captive for three days.
Abhinandan’s MiG had sustained significant damage during the aerial combat with the Pakistani aircraft. He sustained injuries while ejecting from his fighter jet (MiG-21) during the incident. Later that year, he was awarded the ‘Vir Chakra’—India’s third-highest wartime gallantry award. According to the award citation, he demonstrated an “extraordinary sense of duty” during the dogfight.
A report claims that Abhinandan Varthaman joined a private airline in August of this year. However, there has been no official statement regarding this matter so far, nor has Fly91 shared any details.
Fly91 commenced operations in March 2024. It currently operates a fleet of six ATR 72-600 aircraft. The airline has bases in Goa and Hyderabad, and Abhinandan is undergoing training on these routes.
