maharaja: After 51 years, Maharaja ‘retires’ his ‘queens of the skies’

NEW DELHI: Air India’s iconic Boeing 747s might have lastly reached the tip of the highway after colouring worldwide skies within the tricolour for over half a century. The Tata Group just lately revamped the airline’s web site and the jumbo jets are usually not proven as a part of the fleet.
The Directorate Common of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had this April deregistered the Maharaja’s final remaining 4 queen of the skies. If and when AI plans to make use of them once more for business flights, it must endure a return to service program resulting in their re-registration.
So technically AI can use these practically 30-year-old planes once more after going by means of this course of. However given their age, scarcity of spares, situation of cabin and most significantly funding required, it stays to be seen if that occurs.

Feedback have been sought from AI on the problem and the response is awaited.
The airline obtained its first jumbo jet, named Emperor Ashoka, in 1971. With the 747s, AI beneath JRD Tata had set new ranges of inflight luxurious. It had launched a particular “Palace within the Sky” livery and for this plane. The tastefully embellished staircase to the higher deck; jharokha flight panels; dewans and bar have been means forward of their time when launched onboard these stunning machines within the 1970 by JRD himself.

For about two years, the B747s used to fly the president, VP and PM on medium to lengthy haul worldwide journeys. They may not fly to the Americas direct and used to take a halt in Europe, principally Frankfurt. Then India obtained two state-of-the-art Boeing 777s — which not like the jumbos that used to do each VVIP and common flights shall be devoted for dignitaries — which might fly nonstop to just about wherever on the planet to and from India.
As soon as the VVIP responsibility ended, there was little use for the four-engine double deckers specifically after gasoline costs started skyrocketing. They primarily flew until 2021, precisely 50 years. The final high-profile project carried out by these curvaceous beauties was flying from Delhi to Wuhan in early 2020 to convey again Indian college students from the epicentre of Covid.
“The 747 will stay AI’s signature product, one thing overseen straight by JRD. The Tatas are again at AI as homeowners, hope they will recreate the magic with the fleet revamp plans being labored out,” mentioned a senior pilot. The revamped AI web site reveals these planes as a part of its fleet — single aisle Airbus A320 household (319, 320 and 321) and huge physique B777 and B787s.
AI may stay the one business Indian airline ever to function four-engine, double decker plane. Vijay Mallya had ordered the four-engine Airbus A340s for Kingfisher, however may by no means induct them within the fleet earlier than the airline shut down in 2012.