India, Sept. 3 -- Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman quit the Indian Air Force earlier this year and joined a private airline, said officials close to the matter on Wednesday. The IAF Group Captain became a household name in India after he was captured in 2019 during the Balakot air strikes.

People familiar with the matter told HT that the fighter pilot left the IAF on March 31 and later joined Fly91, a regional carrier.

Varthaman was born in Chennai in 1983. He studied at Sainik School and later enrolled in the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla.

In 2004, he graduated from the combat stream of the IAF and was commissioned as a Flying Officer. After years of training, he was moved to the MiG-21 squadron, where he would be promoted...