New Delhi: There is a question mark over whether the Maharaja’s “queen of the skies” – her four Boeing 747 jumbo jets – will re-flight passengers. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has deregistered nearly three decades old aircraft.
Comments were sought from AI on the future of these planes – whether they will fly again or be retired – were sought from AI and waited until going to press.
“The registration of four B747s of AI has been cancelled,” senior DGCA officials said. They say that if AI plans to use them again for commercial flights, it will have to return to the service program to re-register the aircraft.
Given the age of these planes and the paucity of parts, it remains to be seen whether AI jumbo jets re-flight passengers.
Till about two years ago, top Indian dignitaries, the President, PM and VP, used to fly jumbo on medium to long distance flights. It used to fly one-stop to America. Jumbo were used for regular passenger flights and their seating area was rearranged when removed for VVIP flights.
This duty ended when two refurbished B777s were inducted as dedicated VVIP aircraft about two years ago. These state-of-the-art aircraft with the most sophisticated security and communication systems can fly directly to almost anywhere in the world, with no need to stop while flying to the US.
Four-engined aircraft such as the B747 have become economically impractical for airlines, given the impact on air traffic due to the pandemic and then the rise in jet fuel prices due to Russia’s war on Ukraine. They find twin engines like the Boeing 777/787 and Airbus A330/350 more viable.
In addition these aircraft also have a large range and operate some of the longest nonstops in the world such as Singapore-New York and Delhi-San Francisco.
The first B747, named Samrat Ashok, joined the AI fleet in 1971. With the 747, AI under JRD Tata had set new levels of inflight luxury. It introduced a new “Palace in the Sky” livery and for this aircraft. sumptuously decorated stairs to the upper deck; ventilated flight panel; Dewan and Bar were far ahead of their time when JRD himself introduced these beautiful machines onboard in 1970.
AI may continue to be the only commercial Indian airline to operate a four-engine, double-decker aircraft. Vijay Mallya had ordered a four-engine Airbus A340 for Kingfisher, but they could never be inducted before the airline’s shutdown in 2012.