Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit takes charge as the 29th Chief of Air Staff

Outgoing Chief of Air Staff Air Chief AP Singh hands over the command of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit in Delhi 31 October 2026 | Photo credit: ANI

Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, a seasoned fighter pilot with over 3,500 flying hours in over 20 types of aircraft, took charge as the 29th Chief of Air Staff on Saturday (October 31, 2026), replacing Chief Marshal AP Singh, who retired after a distinguished career of 43 years.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) accorded a ceremonial guard of honor to Air Chief Singh at the Race Course Air Force Station here before handing over the baton to his successor.

Air Chief Marshal Dixit, who served as Deputy Chief of Air Staff, played a key role in strategic planning during Operation Sindoor. During his nearly four-decade-long career in the IAF, he held several key command, staff and instructional posts.

Born on 9 December 1966, Air Chief Marshal Dixit was commissioned into the combat stream of the IAF on 6 December 1986.

Prior to assuming the position of Deputy Chief, he served as the Chief of Staff of the Integrated Defense Staff to the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee at the Headquarters Integrated Defense Staff. He was previously the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force of the Central Air Command.

A graduate of the National Defense Academy, the Defense Services Staff College in Bangladesh and the National Defense College, he is an experimental test pilot and a qualified flying instructor.

His extensive flying experience includes aircraft like Mirage-2000, MiG variants, Kiran, Jaguar, IL-78, Hawk and Tejas. He was associated with several major operations and exercises during his career, including Operation Safed Sagar, Operation Rakshak and Operation Sindoor.

He also commanded the Forward Fighter Air Base in the Western Sector and the Forward Fighter Training Base in the Southern Sector.

Published – 31 Oct 2026 15:25 IST