CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF (INDIA)

The head of the Indian Air Force is known as the 'Chief of the Air Staff' (currently Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major). The highest rank in the IAF is Marshal of the Air Force, which is conferred by the President of India only in exceptional circumstances.
It must be noted that there have been instances when Air Marshals have also been granted such honours.

Contents

Air chiefs

Air officers commanding / commanders in chief

Post-independence commanders in chief

Chiefs of the air staff

Reference

See also

Air chiefs

The following list includes not only those officers who held the appointment of Chief of the Air Staff, but also the preceding commanders of the Indian Air Force.

Air officers commanding / commanders in chief

★ 1931 - 1935 Air Vice-Marshal, later Air Marshal Sir John Steel

★ 1935 - 1937 Air Marshal Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt

★ 1937 - 1939 Air Marshal Sir Philip Joubert de la Ferté

★ 1939 - 1940 Air Marshal Sir John Higgens

★ 1940 - 1942 Air Marshal Sir Patrick Playfair

★ 1942 - 1943 Air Marshal Sir Richard Pierse

★ 1943 - 1944 Air Marshal Sir Guy Garrod (Deputy Air Officer Commanding in Chief)

★ 1944 - 1946 Air Vice-Marshal M Thomas

★ 1946 Air Marshal Sir Roderick Carr

★ 1946 - 1947 Air Marshal Sir Hugh Walmsley

Post-independence commanders in chief

★ 1947 - 1950 Air Marshal Sir Thomas Elmhirst

★ 1950 - 1951 Air Marshal Sir Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman

★ 1951 - 1954 Air Marshal Sir Gerald Gibbs

Chiefs of the air staff

★ 1954 - 1960 Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee

★ 1960 - 1964 Air Marshal Aspy Engineer

★ 1964 - 1969 Air Marshal Arjan Singh

★ 1969 - 1973 Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal

★ 1973 - 1976 Air Chief Marshal Om Prakash Mehra

★ 1976 - 1978 Air Chief Marshal Hrushikesh Moolgavkar

★ 1978 - 1981 Air Chief Marshal Idris Latif

★ 1981 - 1984 Air Chief Marshal Dilbagh Singh

★ 1984 - 1985 Air Chief Marshal Lakshman Katre

★ 1985 - 1988 Air Chief Marshal Denis La Fontaine

★ 1988 - 1991 Air Chief Marshal Surinder Mehra

★ 1991 - 1993 Air Chief Marshal Nirmal Suri

★ 1993 - 1995 Air Chief Marshal Swaroop Kaul

★ 1995 - 1998 Air Chief Marshal Satish Sareen

★ 1998 - 2001 Air Chief Marshal Anil Tipnis

★ 2001 - 2004 Air Chief Marshal Srinivasapuram Krishnaswamy

★ 2004 - 2007 Air Chief Marshal Shashindra Pal Tyagi

★ 2007 - Present Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major

Reference

★ Chiefs of the Indian Air Force

★ Chiefs of the Indian Air Force 1931 to 1947

See also

★ Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army

★ Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy