02
Sep
NEW DELHI (Gurpreet Singh)— Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman, the Indian Air Force fighter pilot who shot down an enemy jet during a tense aerial duel following the 2019 Balakot airstrikes, has taken premature retirement from military service to join a private airline as a commercial pilot. His exit brings an end to a distinguished military aviation career spanning nearly 22 years. Varthaman, who attained his senior rank in December 2021, chose voluntary retirement as part of a career transition common among veteran military aviators, where advancement to senior command roles often shifts operational focus from cockpit duties to desk-bound administrative…