HOW DID INDIA'S FIRST NATIONAL AIRLINES START?
It all over started, When an Indian businessman named Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata (J.R.D TATA) came to India from France after completing his education . after coming to India he got his pilot license and he was the first Indian citizen to get a pilot license.
On 15 October 1932 (as Tata Airlines) airlines fly its first flight from Karachi to Bombay (Mumbai) as an Airmail service carrier named TATA AIRLINES was a private Air India had its origin as Tata Air Services later renamed to Tata Airlines. In April 1932, Tata won a contract to carry mail for Imperial Airways and the aviation department of Tata Sons was formed with two single-engine de Havilland Puss Moths. On 15 October 1932, Tata flew a Puss Moth carrying air mail from Karachi to Mumbai and the aircraft continued to Chennai piloted by Nevill Vintcent, a former Royal Air Force pilot and friend of Tata. The airline fleet consisted of a Puss Moth aircraft and a de Havilland Leopard Moth. Initial service included weekly airmail service between Karachi and Madras via Ahmedabad and Bombay. In its first year of operation, the airline flew 160,000 miles (260,000 km), carrying 155 passengers and 9.72 tonnes (10.71 tons) of mail, and made a profit of ₹60,000 ($800).
 |
| AIR INDIA LOGO |
 |
| MAHARAJA |
Air India is also known for its Moscut most named MAHARAJA which was designed by Bobby Kooka, the then-commercial director of Air India, and Umesh Rao, an artist with J. Walter Thompson Limited in 1946. Kooka stated that "We call him a Maharajah for want of a better description. But his blood isn't blue. He may look like royalty, but he isn't royal". Air India adopted the Maharajah as its mascot in 1946. It was used in promoting it although initially designed only for the airline's memo-pads. The Maharajah was given a makeover in 2015 and the brand is represented by a younger version.
1)HISTORY
After World War II, regular commercial service was restored in India and Tata Airlines became a public limited company on 29 July 1946 under the name Air India. After Indian independence in 1947, 49% of the airline was acquired by the Government of India in 1948. On 8 June 1948, a Lockheed Constellation L-749A named Malabar Princess (registered VT-CQP) took off from Bombay bound for London Heathrow marking the airline's first international flight.
2) NATIONALISATION
In 1953, the Government of India passed the Air Corporations Act and purchased a majority stake in the carrier from Tata Sons though its founder J. R. D. Tata would continue as Chairman till 1977. The company was renamed as Air India International Limited and the domestic services were transferred to Indian Airlines as a part of a restructuring. From 1948 to 1950, the airline introduced services to Nairobi in Kenya and to major European destinations Rome, Paris and Düsseldorf. The airline took delivery of its first Lockheed Constellation and inaugurated services to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore.
3)FIRST ASIAN COUNTRY TO BUY JET PLANES
On 21 February 1960, Air India International inducted its first Boeing 707-420, thereby becoming the first Asian airline to enter the Jet Age. The airline inaugurated services to New York on 14 May 1960. On 8 June 1962, the airline's name was officially truncated to Air India and on 11 June 1962, Air India became the world's first all-jet airline. In 1971, the airline took delivery of its first Boeing 747-200B named Emperor Ashoka (registered VT-EBD) and introduced a new Palace in the Sky livery and branding. In 1986, Air India took delivery of its first Airbus A310-300. In 1993, Air India took delivery of a Boeing 747-400 named Konark (registered VT-ESM) and operated the first non-stop flight between New York and Delhi.[29]
4)LOSS MAKING MACHINE
In 2007, Air India and Indian Airlines were merged under Air India Limited and the airline took delivery of its first Boeing 777 aircraft. The airline was invited to be a part of the Star Alliance in 2007.
The combined losses for Air India and Indian Airlines in 2006–07 were ₹7.7 billion (US$100 million) and after the merger, it went up to ₹72 billion (US$960 million) by March 2009. In July 2009, State Bank of India was appointed to prepare a road map for the recovery of the airline. The carrier sold three Airbus A300 and one Boeing 747-300M in March 2009 for $18.75 million to finance the debt. By March 2011, Air India had accumulated a debt of ₹426 billion (US$5.7 billion) and an operating loss of ₹220 billion (US$2.9 billion), and was seeking ₹429 billion (US$5.7 billion) from the government.A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General blamed the decision to buy 111 new aircraft and the ill-timed merger with Indian Airlines for the poor financial situation.In August 2011, the invitation to join Star Alliance was suspended as a result of its failure to meet the minimum standards for the membership. The government pumped ₹32 billion (US$420 million) into Air India in March 2012.
On 1 March 2009, Air India made Frankfurt Airport its international hub for onward connections to the United States from India. However, the airline shut down the Frankfurt hub on 30 October 2010 because of high operating costs. In 2010, financially less lucrative routes were terminated and the airline planned to open a new hub for its international flights at Dubai. In 2012, a study commissioned by the Corporate Affairs Ministry recommended that Air India should be partly privatised. In May 2012, the carrier invited offers from banks to raise up $800 million via external commercial borrowing and bridge financing. In May 2012, the airline was fined $80,000 by the US Transportation Department for failing to post customer service and tarmac delay contingency plans on its website and adequately inform passengers about its optional fees.[53]
In 2013, the then-Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh stated privatisation was the key to the airline's survival. However, the opposition led by the BJP (BHARTIYA JANTA PARTY) and the CPI(M) slammed the government. In 2013, the Indian government planned to delay equity infusion of ₹300 billion (US$4.0 billion) that was slated to be infused into the airline slowly over a period of eight years.In January 2013, Air India cleared a part of its pending dues through funds raised by selling and leasing back the newly acquired Boeing 787 Dreamliners.In March 2013, the airline posted its first positive EBITDA after almost six years and 20% growth in its operating revenue since the previous financial year.Air India Limited split its engineering and cargo businesses into two separate subsidiaries, Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) and Air India Transport Services Limited (AITSL) in 2013.In December 2013, the airline appointed veteran pilot SPS Puri as its head of operations. The appointment was criticised by the Air India pilots union as Puri allegedly has multiple violations to his name.
Air India became the 27th member of Star Alliance on 11 July 2014.In August 2015, it signed an agreement with Citibank and State Bank of India to raise $300 million in external commercial borrowing to meet working capital requirements. For FY 2014–15, its revenue, operating loss and net loss were ₹198 billion (US$2.6 billion), ₹2.171 billion (US$29 million), and ₹5.41 billion (US$72 million) compared FY 2011–12, which were ₹147 billion (US$2.0 billion), ₹5.138 billion (US$68 million), and ₹7.55 billion (US$100 million). As of May 2017, Air India is the SECOND largest carrier in India (after IndiGo), with a market share of 13%.
6)RE-PRIVATISATION
On 28 June 2017, the Government of India approved the privatisation of Air India. A committee has been set up to start the process. In March 2018, the Government issued an Expression of Interest (EOI) to sell 76% stake of Air India, along with low-cost airline Air India Express, and a 50% stake of AISATS, a ground handling joint venture with Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS). According to the EOI, the new owner would have to take on a debt of ₹33,392 crore (US$4.4 billion) and a bid would have to be submitted by mid-May as the Government wanted to complete the selling process by the end of 2018, but no private firms showed any interest in buying the debt-laden airline.
Having failed on previous occasions to sell the airline, the Government decided to sell 100% share of the airline and started its preparation in late-2019. On 27 January 2020, Government released the Expression of Interest (EOI) to invite bidders. This time the Government decided to sell 100% shares of both Air India and its budget carrier Air India Express as well as 50% shares of AISATS and to attract more bidders this time, the government has already decreased nearly ₹30,000 crore (US$4.0 billion) of debts and liabilities in a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).
In September 2021, government issued fresh tenders for selling the airlines, where Spice Jet's Ajay Singh-led consortium and Tata Sons shown interest in the bid. Finally, on 8 October 2021, Air India, along with its low cost carrier Air India Express and fifty percent of AISATS, a ground handling company, were sold for ₹18,000 crore (US$2.4 billion) to Talace Private Limited, a Tata Sons' SPV.
7)RECORDS
The airline entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the most people evacuated by civil airliner. Over 111,000 people were evacuated from Amman to Mumbai, a distance of 4,117 kilometres (2,558 mi), by operating 488 flights from 13 August to 11 October 1990 – lasting 59 days. The operation was carried out during Persian Gulf War to evacuate Indian expatriates from Kuwait and Iraq. The event was later featured in the film Airlift.
8) HANDOVER
AIR INDIA HAS BEEN HANDOVER TO TATA'S ON 27 JANUARY 2022,
And finally after almost of 7 decades AIR INDIA has return to its home back successfully to the winning bidder of it named TATA SONS. Hope AI reach its same hight as it was before, May god bless the 4 airlines (AIR INDIA, AIR INDIA EXPRESS, AIR ASIA INDIA AND VISTARA) and the TATA GROUP.
9)END OF AN ERA
Air India's game changer Boeing 747 has been set to be retire from it's fleet after serving for almost of 30 years in the service. Air India was having total of 4 B747-400 till year 2021 and flew of then have been already dismantled in Mumbai Airport (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport), but their no any statement from Air India officials about retirement of b747. but after seeing to Fleet information of Air india plane they have already removed the column of b747, Now the queen of skies have already left the Indian Aviation after it's service for 30+ years.Only one (VT-EVS) has been kept in storage at bombay airport and it is not part of AI bid.
Air India took the delivery of first b747 in the year 1993 named KONARK,
(CSMIA), it will mostly used for emergency services or bringing back Olympics champions back to their country.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
QUEEN OF SKIES
AIR INDIA (B747-400) IN CSMIA
10)FUTURE OF AI's B747's
After the Handover to TATA'S Air india's B747-400 were not part of the sale then the DGCA (DIRECTORATE GENRAL OF CIVIL AVIAITION) de-registered all four B747 and in month of November, all four of them were put on sale, they probably will be scrapped ot it will be transformed into frieght to transport cargo.For the sale UK based company named SkyTech-AIC, planned with an agreement to sale them
UPDATED ON - 24 November 2022
Comments
Post a Comment