In a stunning case of corporate oversight, Air India has finally located a Boeing passenger aircraft that vanished from its records over a decade ago, leading to a substantial parking penalty.
The Discovery of the 'Ghost' Plane
The saga began when authorities at Kolkata Airport contacted Air India, requesting the removal of a jet that had been sitting idle since 2012. The airline, initially denying ownership, was forced to confront the reality after an internal audit confirmed the 30-tonne, 30-metre long Boeing 737-200 was indeed part of its forgotten fleet.
Air India chief executive Campbell Wilson explained that the 43-year-old aircraft had been decommissioned years earlier to operate for India Post and was subsequently left out of official documentation. Officials cited staff turnover and poor record-keeping as key reasons the plane slipped through the cracks.
A Costly Oversight and a Varied History
The discovery came with a heavy price tag. Air India was fined nearly 10 million rupees (about 85,000 pounds or roughly 13.5 million Naira) for accumulated parking and handling fees over 13 years. The airline has since paid the full amount.
The aircraft's operational history was complex:
- It was originally registered to Indian Airlines, a state-owned carrier that merged with Air India in 2007.
- It was later leased to the Indian postal service and converted for cargo use.
- It was deregistered in 2012 after flying for Indian Airlines, Alliance Air, and India Post.
About two weeks ago, the plane was sold and transported by road to Bengaluru, where it will now serve as a ground training unit for air crew.
Broader Context and Ongoing Scrutiny
Airport officials revealed this Boeing 737-200 was the 14th abandoned aircraft cleared from Kolkata Airport in the past five years. They added that two more unclaimed ATR 72 planes, previously operated by Alliance Air, have also been parked in a remote section for about five years.
This revelation arrives amid heightened scrutiny of Air India's operations. This follows a tragic London-bound flight crash in Ahmedabad in June 2025 that killed all but one of the 242 people on board. In November, the airline also grounded three Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners for extensive investigations.
