In 2021, we wrote about the Air India 747 aircraft being retired from service. However, some avgeeks did not believe when it was going to happen, and this made Air India issue a statement stating that the aircraft was going to be a part of the fleet for the foreseeable future. However, after the privatisation of the airline, one of the first actions was the quiet retirement of these birds.

Air India’s 747-400 aircraft deregistered

In the list of aircraft registered to various Indian airlines, back in 2022, no more Boeing 747 aircraft were registered to Air India. This meant that the 747 was taken off the civil aviation register of India and will no longer fly for any airline (unless, of course, someone takes them over and re-registers them).

Air India had already moved on with these jets in March 2021, as it had reassigned these pilots to the 777/787 fleets. Hence, no current pilots exist for the 747 operations in the Air India fleet.

While some may wish that these aircraft deserved a better farewell (and I share the sentiment), I was on the last flight of the Air India 747-400 aircraft from Delhi to Mumbai in March 2021, and here you can relive the flight with me on board.

Air India sells the Boeing 747s

Air India did not have any plans for the Boeing 747 aircraft, and they had appointed Skytech-AIC, a UK-based aircraft remarketing firm, to help them sell the four aircraft to interested partiers.  The last four Boeing 747 aircraft with Air India bore the following registrations:

• VT-EVA (entered service October 1996, Stored March 2021) named Agra (MSN 28094)
• VT-ESO (entered service December 1993, Stored September 2020), named Khajuraho (MSN 27165)
• VT-ESP (entered service June 1994, Stored February 2020), named Ajanta (MSN 27214)
• VT-EVB (entered service November 1996, Stored February 2020), named Goa Velha (MSN 28095)

Some of these aircraft were also used to fly the President and Prime Minister of India abroad, and Air India would convert the plane into an executive configuration by removing some seats when these were on executive duties. However, with the arrival of the Boeing 777-300ERs to ferry the dignitaries, these aircraft were not required.

Now, on the website of Skytech AIC, it is reported that the four aircraft have been sold.

This is corroborated by the change in the status of at least one Boeing 747, VT-EVA, which seems to have been bought by AerSale NV, an American supplier of aviation aftermarket products. This means the aircraft will most likely be parted out, and the equipment will be used on other aircraft that might need spares.

This also means that we will not get to see Boeing 747s when we land at Mumbai Airport anymore. This shot was from the time I flew the A350 of Air India into Mumbai and the 747 was parked at the Mumbai Terminal 2 apron (as it has been, since March 2021).

I seriously wished the Tata Group holds on to at least one of them to be able to celebrate the legacy of Air India. But now that they are sold, I hope Air India does something to collaborate with the new owner to get some of the skin of the plane.

Bottomline

Air India’s 747 have been sold. This is the end of the Boeing 747 programme with Air India, as Boeing has already closed down the programme. The new owner will most likely part out the aircraft and reuse the components on other aircraft that may require them.

Do you have any memories of the Boeing 747 of Air India? Do share?

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