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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

AI’s Maharaja smiles joyfully

All 30 grounded aircrafts now fly Mumbai : Air India’s Maharaja is all pleased as punch at 80. After years of huge costs and efforts, the last of the grounded 30 aircraft – inherited by the Tata Group during the privatization in Jan. 2022 – is now resurrected fully and took to the skies gracefully on Monday.   The aircraft is the gleaming VT-ALL, a Boeing 777-300ER, that was gathering grime since February 2020, and becomes the final among the two-and-half dozen aircraft that have been revved...

AI’s Maharaja smiles joyfully

All 30 grounded aircrafts now fly Mumbai : Air India’s Maharaja is all pleased as punch at 80. After years of huge costs and efforts, the last of the grounded 30 aircraft – inherited by the Tata Group during the privatization in Jan. 2022 – is now resurrected fully and took to the skies gracefully on Monday.   The aircraft is the gleaming VT-ALL, a Boeing 777-300ER, that was gathering grime since February 2020, and becomes the final among the two-and-half dozen aircraft that have been revved up and revived in the past few years, AI official sources said.   It marked a symbolic milestone for Air India itself - founded in 1932 by the legendary Bharat Ratna J. R. R. Tata - which once ruled the roost and was India’s pride in the global skies.   Once renowned for its royal service with the iconic Maharaja welcoming fliers on board, in 1953 it was taken over by the government of India. After years of piling losses, ageing aircraft, decline in operations and standards – almost like a Maharaja turning a pauper - it returned to the Tata Group four years ago.   This time it was not just the aircraft, the brand and the deflated Maharaja coming into the large-hearted Tata Group stables, but a formidable challenge to ensure that the airline could regain its old glory and glitter. Of the total around 190 aircraft in its fleet were 30 – or 15 pc – that had been grounded and neglected for years.   At that time, the late Ratan N. Tata had directed that all these valuable aircraft must be revived as far as possible and join the fleet. Accordingly, the VT-ALL, languishing at Nagpur for nearly five years, was ‘hospitalized’ at the Air India Engineering Service Ltd., its MRO facility in May 2025.   New Avatar Then started a thorough, painstaking nose-to-tail restoration of an unprecedented scale, in which over 3000 critical components were replaced, over 4,000 maintenance tasks executed, besides key structural upgrades like the longeron modification, engines, auxiliary power units, avionics, hydraulics, landing gears and almost every vital system was rebuilt or replaced.   After the repairs, the old aircraft was reborn, under the gaze of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and technical assistance from Boeing, and the new ‘avatar’ jetliner emerged with the highest global safety standards.   The aircraft cleared all the rigorous checks, a successful test flight, earned the mandatory Airworthiness Review Certificate and then made its maiden commercial flight from Monday, March 16 – after a wait of six years.   Sturdy Fliers Created in 1946 to become an instant global icon, the Air India’s mascot Maharaja now sports a youthful and chic look, a welcome with folded hands, closed eyes, featuring a bejewelled turban, stylish jootis, and a textured kurta in Air India’s new colours. He is prominently visible at various touch-points in a flyer’s journey, such as First Class, exclusive lounges, and luxury products.   Today, he commands a mix fleet of around 190 narrow and wide-body Airbus and Boeing aircraft like : A319, A320, A320neo, A321, A321neo, A350-900 and B787-8, B787-9, B7770200LR, B-777-300ER. With the merger of Vistara and agreements signed for 10 A350 and 90 A320 aircraft, the Maharaja’s fleet is slated to soar to some 570 in the near future.

Ambernath’s ration scam uncovered

Ambernath: A shocking scam has surfaced in Ambernath where ration shop owners are allegedly exploiting the ignorance of citizens, particularly women, by diverting government-supplied food grains to the black market. Locals report that instead of receiving the mandated four kilograms of grains per month, families are being handed just one kilogram, with the rest sold illegally.


The scam reportedly affects several areas in Ambernath West, including Bhaskar Nagar, Buvapada, Khuntvali, Ganesh Nagar, and Bhendipada neighborhoods home to large populations of poor and illiterate citizens. Residents allege that ration dealers send people away with insufficient supplies while selling the remainder at high prices in the open market.

While speaking to, ‘The Perfect Voice’, rationing officer Shashikant Patsute confirmed that complaints have been received and inspections are underway. “We are investigating shops in Buvapada, Ganesh Nagar, Bhaskar Nagar, Bhendipada, and Khuntvali. Teams are visiting 50 households in each area to verify the distribution. Any irregularities will result in strict action against errant shopkeepers, including hearings and penalties as per senior directives,” Patsute stated. He urged citizens to immediately report any instances of illegal ration sales to the department.


Dhanishankar Tiwari, a physically challenged resident, shared his ordeal: “I have been housebound for years. My wife supports our family on her wages, and we depend on the ration to survive. But for two months, the dealer hasn’t given us our due, and even when he does, it’s less than promised. The government must act so we get what we’re entitled to every month.”


Former President of Ambernath municipal Council Rajendra Walekar called the situation “disgraceful.” He said, “Stealing food meant for the poor, workers, and the disabled is unforgivable. If officials or shopkeepers are found guilty, we will teach them a lesson Shivsena style. We won’t tolerate theft of food from the mouths of our women and children.”


Walekar warned of a massive agitation if authorities failed to act swiftly. Under Shivsena city chief Arvind Walekar’s leadership, Shivsena’s women’s wing, youth members, and citizens plan to march on the ration shops to demand accountability. “We will not hesitate to blacken the faces of those robbing the poor of their rights,” he said.


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