Air India received a surprise parking bill of nearly 10 million rupees (about $120,000) after rediscovering a long-lost Boeing 737-200 that had been quietly sitting in a remote corner of India’s Kolkata Airport for more than a decade — a jet that somehow slipped entirely out of the memory of anyone at the airline.
The aircraft, registered VT-EHH, was taken out of service and parked on a remote pad at Kolkata Airport in 2012. Over the years, staff turnover and record-keeping gaps meant the jet gradually slipped out of the airline’s institutional record-keeping. By the time airport officials contacted Air India and asked that it be removed, the airline initially insisted the aircraft was not theirs.
According to reporting by The Times of India, Air India’s internal audit ultimately confirmed that VT-EHH did belong to the airline, despite being absent from fixed-asset registers and other internal documentation. The confusion appears to have stemmed from administrative lapses dating back to mergers involving Indian Airlines and Air India, as well as the aircraft’s former use as a freighter for India Post.
Kolkata Airport continued to levy standard parking fees throughout the 13-year period the aircraft remained idle. After confirming ownership, Air India arranged for the jet’s removal and paid the parking fee. The aircraft was lifted onto a transport vehicle and moved by road to Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, India, where it will serve as a non-flying training platform for aviation maintenance technicians.
The 43-year-old jet, delivered in 1982, had an unusually long and varied career. It flew for Indian Airlines, later operated for Alliance Air on lease starting in 1998, returned for cargo operations in 2007, and was last used by India Post before being decommissioned in 2012. As noted by The Times of India, it was also the only retired Air India aircraft among a recent group of 10 that still had its Pratt & Whitney JT8D engines attached at the time of disposal.
Airport officials told Indian media outlets the removal of VT-EHH marks the 14th abandoned aircraft cleared from Kolkata Airport in the past five years.
19 comments
In 13 years Kolkata airport must have sent atleast (13×12) 156 monthly invoices and countless collection call. The bills must have popped up in collection ageing summaries somewhere too. No? Or were they sleeping too?
From a security point of view, how did the airport not know whose aircraft it was for 13 years? And are they not supposed to bill parking charges yearly?
You miss place an aircraft for 13 years? I’d hate to see the service records for the rest of the fleet! India Air: No thank you!
India is not that bad, you have to come UK how many errors they making every day. So just do not blame. I am not say this because I am patriotic to our country. Every cvil servants makes mistakes. So take it and enjoy the crack
You would think the airport would bill parking yearly.
But this is Kolkata we’re talking about. Every part of the city screams useless and inefficient
This shows the manner in which our national assets were kept. Andbthen came the Tatas. And how cone they too didnt take an inventory of assets they were buying. All these transactions are shams, facilitated by donayions and bribes !!
First up all I salute Modiji for privatisation of white Elephant AIR INDIA in TATA’s hand. Then Tata did a good job that Thrash all SOMPERI, IRRESPONSIBLE, KAMCHORE, LAZY Employees from AIR INDA, Every Nations have a National carreer and it is running on profit.
In our country, it is running in loss many decades because response employees from Top to Bottom.
This Boeing 737 incident was the example of one of the incident.
An Ex VISTARA employee.
Pity. Shame. But no surprise what corruption irresponsible attitude and laziness can lead to.
Good that the Tatas are there and maybe Air India would fly a new horizon. Eventually.
Mr Mathew, can’t the same aircraft be used for passenger Travels on regular basis? Such type of aircraft can carry how many passengers, Mr.Mathew, any idea? Approximate.
The Onion could not do better than this!!! HYSTERICAL!!!!
It is at or about 3 -4 yrs since Tata management took over Airindia with all its assets & losses. It is said airport authority in Kolkata is raising monthly ( probably) parking fees with Tata AirIndia. How was it at either ends the fact of non- settlement was left unnoticed. Further there should be both internal audit to check receipt & pending. All in All total monumental failure.
It’s all about invoice financing.
Mera Bharat Mahan!! I am not surprised at all!! It’s a system failure. Tata has bought the Air India as they have sentimental value attached to it and that is the reason they have even considered to pay are. 1 and coconut to Govt while buying entire liability🫣
Only lord Rama can save this country now. Thousands are stranded nationwide today due to Indigo staffers strike. No one has any information. No notifications, no information whatsoever. Just returned home after spending a night at the airport. Worried about flyers who had multiple connections. Wonder who is running the country..
Pity. Shame. But no surprise; knowing what corruption irresponsible attitude and laziness can lead to. Good that PM Modi privatised it and now it’s in the hands of the great Tatas. Hope the same AI will fly a new horizon. Eventually.
System Failure? Mismanagement? Improper management of change? Incompetent people managing a flag carrier? If one of them gets a brutally honest answer including the root cause, probably we could move to part 2 to further assess the situation and maybe get a preventive action.
$120K ? The aircraft with the engines and other major components would be worth Millions of $. What’s the big deal ? Tata Man is lucky to regain this asset irrespective of the costs paid. Let them tell me and I will take over this aircraft and pay the airport parking charges.
To summarise the episode, these asset management blokes and the CCU AI Staff at the present air india are a bunch of blind idiots who ignored a livery painted asset for the past 4 years.
Could only happen in Kolkata – the most useless city in India. After not even knowing that there’s a huge jet in their own airport, they decide to cover up their negligence with billing.