For IndiGo pilot Hemanth Naidu, a recent flight became a memorable experience after he discovered that his captain was Group Captain K Nachiketa (retd), the former Indian Air Force fighter pilot and Kargil War veteran who now flies commercial aircraft.

Naidu talked about being in the cockpit with Nachiketa in an Instagram video. He said the experience was especially significant because he had grown up admiring those who served the nation in uniform. Naidu stated in his post that there are flights pilots record in their logbooks, and then there are flights they carry with them for life.

Nachiketa was captured during the Kargil War

During the 1999 Kargil War, Nachiketa was flying a MiG-27 on a combat mission when his aircraft suffered an engine failure. He ejected from the aircraft and landed deep inside territory held by Pakistani forces, where he was captured.

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Nachiketa spent eight days as a prisoner of war before being safely returned to India. His experience in captivity has been documented in several interviews, including accounts in which he recalled being interrogated and physically tortured.

Years later, Nachiketa moved from military aviation to commercial flying and joined IndiGo as a pilot. For Naidu, discovering that the person sitting beside him had lived through such a significant chapter of the Kargil War made the flight especially memorable.

Naidu described sharing the cockpit of an Airbus A321 with Nachiketa as “an absolute privilege”. He said flying alongside someone who had experienced one of the most difficult chapters of the war reminded him of the importance of courage, humility and resilience.

Social media users praise Kargil veteran

Naidu’s post also received several comments from people who admired Nachiketa and shared their own memories of flying with him.

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One commenter described sharing the cockpit with him as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”, while others remembered him as humble and grounded despite his experience and achievements.

Several people who had flown with Nachiketa also shared their impressions. One called him one of the best captains they had flown with, while another described him as one of the calmest fighter pilots they had known.

Other users thanked Nachiketa for his service and praised his valour. One comment summed up the sentiment around the veteran with the phrase, “Once a fauji always a fauji,” .