IAF pilot Abhinandan's parents cheered on Chennai-Delhi flight

In a proud moment, Indian Air Force’s pilot Abhinandan Varthaman's parents, Air Marshal S Varthaman (Retired) and mother Shobha Varthaman, a doctor, were cheered by passengers when they boarded a flight from Chennai to New Delhi on Thursday evening. They were on their way to Attari to welcome their son back home.

As their flight landed in New Delhi, the passengers waited for Abhinandan's parents to deboard first. All passengers cheered, clapped and gave them a standing ovation.

The father of Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, captured by Pakistan after an air combat, on Thursday said he was proud of his son's bravery and thanked the people for their support and good wishes.

The family of Abhinandan has an excellent track record of serving the Indian Air Force for generations since the second World War and his father besides being an ace pilot was a consultant for Mani Ratnam's film "Kaatru Veliyidai".

The 35-year-old Wing Commander was captured on Wednesday by Pakistan after his MiG-21 Bison fighter jet was hit by Pakistan Air Force jets near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sources said that the pilot is likely to be brought by Pakistani authorities from Rawalpindi to Lahore and handed over first to the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) under rules of the Geneva Convention before being brought to the JCP on Friday afternoon.

Varthaman will be debriefed by defence and security officials after his return before he is taken to New Delhi from the Amritsar airport.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced on Thursday that the captured IAF pilot will be freed as a "goodwill gesture" after New Delhi sought his unconditional, immediate and unharmed release.