MUMBAI- Tata-owned Air India (AI) has sadly retired the last batch of ‘Queen of Skies,’ which included four remaining Boeing 747s parked at Mumbai Airport (BOM).
According to sources knowledgeable about the situation, the four aircraft have been purchased by the US-based company AerSale, which specializes in aftermarket commercial jet engines and parts.
Air India Retires Boeing 747
The 27-year-old Boeing 747, previously registered as VT-EVA, made its last flight in Air India Livery today (April 22, 2024) at 10:46 AM IST (5:16 AM UTC) from Mumbai.
The aircraft now bears registration N940AS and is operating a ferry flight to Seattle (SEA) as OMD223 at the time of writing this article. You can track live flights here: Nomadic Aviation flight OMD223 – Flightradar24
Further, it is a Most tracked flight on the FlightRadar24 app.
Air India Boeing 747-400 VT-EVA, also named Agra, is 27 years and 6 months old aircraft. It has been in storage in Mumbai since 11 Mar 2021, as shown in Planespotters.net data.
You can see some of the latest photos here:
It’s anticipated that two aircraft will convert into freighters, while the remaining two will be dismantled to utilize their parts, as per the sources.
Tata Group, the new owner of Air India, opted not to utilize the 747s, deeming them economically unviable for current operational conditions.
The last operational flight by Air India 747 occurred on the Delhi-Mumbai route in March 2021. Following the airline’s acquisition, Tata Group enlisted the services of the UK-based remarketing firm Skytech-AIC to facilitate the sale of the four aircraft.
Iconic Aircraft
Air India received its first 747 on March 22, 1971, which commenced service on May 21 of the same year, operating four weekly flights from India to London and featuring a triple-class configuration with 423 seats.
During that period, the airline had introduced a fresh appearance for its aircraft exterior, featuring silver and white hues complemented by red accents and windows designed to resemble Rajasthani-style arches, aiming to evoke the ambiance of ‘Jharokha’ type balconies reminiscent of the Hawa Mahal in Jaipur.
JRD Tata, the then chairman of Air India, emphasized the necessity of acquiring the aircraft due to the superior offerings provided by its competitors.
He stated, “We cannot maintain competitiveness unless we ensure our passengers receive superior equipment and service compared to any other airline globally. Additionally, with the advent of an aircraft large enough to cater to a mass tourist market, Air India must be prepared to accommodate its share of the increasing tourist traffic to India in the coming years.” This statement was made following the reception of the first 747.
Additionally, the aircraft served as transportation for the prime minister, president, and vice-president until the Indian Air Force procured two Boeing 777s in 2020.
Bottom Line
I think the Tata senior leadership made the right decision to retire these beautiful jets. During my training as an AME Apprentice, I got a chance to closely see these Boeing 747s and perform some maintenance work on them.
These planes are huge and have millions of parts and components. They are very expensive to operate and costly to maintain at this age. Further, parts are scarce as Boeing no longer manufactures these planes.
Overall, we will miss the Queen of Skies, and they will be remembered forever, whether we flew on it or just saw it. Let us know your favorite memory with Air India Boeing 747s by commenting here: AVIATION A2Z (@aviationa2z) • Instagram photos and videos
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