Interesting Facts and Info about Air India
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Air India is the flag carrier of India that has been operational in the country since 1932. The airline serves more than 60 destinations across four different continents, making it one of the most popular airlines among Indian air travelers. This article throws light on a few interesting facts about Air India.
Early Years 1932-1945 as Tata Air Services
Air India, which is a government owned Indian Flag carrier with its base in Delhi, was initially founded by Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata on 15th October 1932. The aviation branch of JRD Tata led Tata Sons formed Tata Air Services after receiving a contract by Imperial Airways to carry air mails. Tata Air Services consisted of two single engine aircraft: Puss Moth and De Havilland Leopard Moth. Initially, the business operations of Tata Air Services included delivery of weekly air mails between Karachi (then in India) and Madras. These services were carried out by passing through Ahmadabad and Bombay (Now Mumbai).
As Tata Airlines
Air India that you all know about was not always known by that name. It was originally named as Tata Air Services, but in the year 1938, it was re-named as Tata Airlines. The first domestic flight of Tata Airlines was from Bombay to Trivandrum in Miles Merlin, an aircraft with only six seats. Flights to Delhi and Colombo, which is now in Sri Lanka, were later added as destinations by the airline. Tata Airlines played a significant role during World War II, which lasted from 1939 to 1945, as it helped the Royal Air Force of United Kingdom with movement of the troops, food, medicines, aircraft maintenance, rescue of wounded soldiers, refugees and lots more.
As Air India (After World War till 2000)
After the conclusion of the World War II, on 29th July 1946, Tata Airlines became a listed company and was renamed as Air India. After India became independent in the year 1947, the government of India acquired 49% percent stakes of the airline in the year 1948. Air India’s first international flight from Bombay to London’s Heathrow Airport took off on 8th June 1948 in a four-engine propeller driven Lockheed Constellation L-749A aircraft. Since then, there was no looking back for this airline, as numerous international routes were added from 1948 to 1950. Flight routes to Nairobi, Rome, Dusseldorf and Paris were added, and shortly after the purchase of new Lockheed Constellation L-1049, Air India started services in the Far East countries as well, like Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. Government of India purchased the majority stake in Air India after passing the ‘Air Corporations Act’ in the year 1953 and gave it a new name ‘Air India International Limited’.
Additions to Fleet
Air India was the first airline in Asia to own a jet plane (powered by turbine engines) after acquiring Boeing 707-20 on 21st February 1960. On 14th May 1960, Air India started flight services to New York and went on to become an all jet airline on 11th June 1962. The name Air India International Limited was officially shortened and renamed as Air India on 8th June 1962.
In 1971, Air India purchased its first Boeing 747-200B aircraft, followed by an Airbus A310-300 in the year 1986, and lastly Boeing 747-400 in the year 1993, which was also the aircraft that operated the first non-stop New York to Delhi flight. In the year 2000, flight services to Shanghai were also started by Air India.
Air India launched a low-cost airline, Air India Express, in May 2004, with an aim of providing quality, professional and affordable services within India, South East and the Middle East. In the year 2007, Air India merged with Indian Airlines. Air India mainly focused on long haul international flights whereas Indian Airlines majorly operated the domestic route and short haul international flights.
The Logo
The first logo of Air India was revealed in the year 1948 and it was chosen by JRD Tata. The logo showcased a sign of Centaur, a modern adaptation of the ninth sign of Zodiac Sagittarius. The logo showcased a Centaur i.e. half horse and half human in a stance of shooting an arrow which stands for strength, speed and movement. The logo also has a resemblance to Faravahar or Farohar which symbolizes Zoroastrianism and the holy symbol of Parsis’s which features a guardian angel or a winged man.
Farohar acts a sign of good luck for the Parsis, and as the founding family of Air India the Tata’s were Parsi, JRD Tata selected this logo to be the identity of this Indian Flag carrier airline. This logo represented the national airline of India till 2007. Air India collaborated with Indian Airlines, and on 22nd May 2007, they unveiled their new logo which showcased a Flying Swan with a Konark Wheel positioned inside it.
Color scheme
The color scheme of Air India logo is red and white right from the start. The airplanes of Air India are painted in white color with the name of the airline written in red color. The name of the airline is written in English as well as in our national language Hindi on the planes. The window frames were painted with palace style designs which symbolizes the slogan ‘Palace in Sky’.
Air India Mascot
In the year 1946, Air India adopted a mascot Maharaja ‘King’ which was basically designed to be used only for airlines memo-pads, but later on, it was used for all the promotional activities.
Fleet Size and Other details
Air India’s fleet consists a total of 125 airplanes, excluding the ones possessed by Air India Express and Alliance Air. Air India’s fleet consists of airplanes purchased from renowned organizations like Boeing and Airbus. The primary hub of Air India is Indira Gandhi International Airport located in Delhi, whereas Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai serves as the secondary hub. With 18.6% market share, Air India holds the prime position of the largest international carrier in India by serving over 60 international destinations across four continents. On 11th July 2014, Air India became the member of Star Alliance. Air India is the 27th member out of 28 members of the Star Alliance.
Headquarters
Air India was headquartered in a 23 floor building at Marine Drive, Mumbai until 2013, after which it was shifted to Delhi. Air India currently employs more than 20,000 employees working in different cities in order to provide the best flying experience to the flyers.
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