Air India has sold off four of its last remaining Boeing 747-400 jumbo jetliners, aircrafts that were once used to ferry prime ministers, presidents, vice presidents.
The going of Boeing 747, that had once thrust the airline to the global league, marks the end of an era.
Why did Air India sell its last Boeing 747s?
According to a report by The Economic Times, Tata Group, the new owners of Air India, had no intention of using the 747s as they found them uneconomical to operate in current conditions.
The last time Air India’s 747 took to the skies was in March 2021, in a flight between Delhi and Mumbai. After acquiring the airline in January 2022, the Tata Group had mandated UK-based remarketing firm Skytech-AIC to sell the four remaining planes to interested parties.
Did Air India Boeing 747s find any takers?
The Economic Times report quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that the four 747s that Air India stopped using were sold to US company AerSale, a supplier of aftermarket commercial jet engines and their spare parts.
The report further said that two of the aircrafts are likely to be converted to freighters, while the others will be disassembled for their parts
Vman Aviation Services, a Mumbai-based company, will manage the transfer of the planes to AerSale.
Are used aircraft parts safe?
Most used aircraft parts that are sold globally, have plenty of remaining operational life which makes them a hot commodity. They are also a lot cheaper than new parts straight from the factory and therefore, are a great way for operators to save costs.
History of Boeing 747 with Air India
Air India took the first delivery of Boeing 747 on March 22 1971. The aircraft entered service on May 21 of the same year, with four weekly flights from India to London. It had 423 seats in a triple-class configuration.
When they were in use by the airline, these planes served prime ministers, presidents and vice presidents till the Indian Air Force (IAF) acquired two Boeing 777s in 2020 which are now used to ferry dignitaries.
When these Boeing 747s were sent on executive duties, Air India would convert them into an executive configuration by removing some seats.
Back then, when Air India used Boeing 747s, it rebranded the aircrafts and launched it under a branding called “Your Place in the Sky.”
It had also introduced a new look with the exterior aircraft flaunting silver and white with red details and windows described as Rajasthani style arches. These were intended to give the effect of a row of 'Jharokha' type balconies reminiscent of the Hawa Mahal at Jaipur.
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