Air India Finally Sells Off Four Boeing 747-400s To Aftermarket Aviation Company

Air India’s remaining Boeing 747s have reportedly found new owners, officially ending the airline’s relationship with the jumbo jet. At Air India, the 747, once a staple of the company’s long-haul routes, has been gradually replaced by new, more fuel-efficient twin-engine jets. The development also marks the end of marketing efforts to sell these parked aircraft, which have not been flown for airlines in the past few years.

Air India sells remaining Boeing 747 aircraft

According to a report by economic timesAir India’s remaining four Boeing 747-400s have found new owners in US-based Airsail, a supplier of aftermarket commercial jet engines and parts.

Two of the planes are likely to take on a new mission as converted cargo planes, while the other two could be dismantled at a scrapyard, according to people familiar with the matter. channel airlines It also reported that as of last week, only one aircraft had been sold, and that contracts for the remaining three aircraft had been signed but remained unconfirmed. One of these planes was acquired in his 1993, the second in his 1994, and the other two in his 1996.

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How the Boeing 747 defined the golden age of Indian aviation

A look back at the glorious days of the 747 in India.

Air India’s fleet of Boeing 747s had been declining in any case, but the coronavirus pandemic hastened their retirement. In its later years, it was mainly used for VVIP flights, such as transporting Prime Ministers and Presidents on official visits.

The airline last operated a 747 in 2021, and since then, the 747 has been parked at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. The airline’s new management has selected British aircraft service provider Skytec-AIC to sell its 747 aircraft in 2022. Since then, they have been busy finding buyers for these jets, and now that work appears to be nearly complete.

Air India and Boeing 747

For decades, Air India has operated a fleet of 31 Boeing 747s, not all of which were registered in India. The airline received its first jumbo aircraft in 1971 and was an early adopter of this type of airline. Several 747-200s were added to the airline’s fleet over the next two decades, followed by the 747-300 in the ’80s. The 747-400 with an extended upper deck was introduced in the 1990s.

The jumbo jet defined the golden age of air travel in India at the time, opening up several new routes with superior fuel efficiency compared to previous generation aircraft and adding capacity to Air India’s network. The company even dubbed the upper deck the “Palace in the Sky,” with amenities like a lounge and bar and a unique menu.

The pilot who flew Air India’s 747 also got nostalgic and recalled the good old days of flying planes. The Economic Times quoted one of them as saying,

“Once, when we landed in Nagpur on a 747, the whole airport stood outside and looked at that magnificent aircraft. There was no need for it, so the airport arranged for it to be distributed.”

With the conclusion of this chapter, Air India will move forward towards long-haul operations of new generation aircraft such as the Airbus A350 and Dreamliner with the aim of developing into a world-class airline.

Have you ever flown on an Air India 747? What was the experience like? Let us know in the comments section below.