top of page

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.

BJP youth leader, cousin killed

Prafull Tangdi
Prafull Tangdi

Bhiwandi: In a brutal and shocking incident, two cousins, including a prominent BJP youth leader, were mercilessly murdered outside their office in Khardi village on Khardaw Chinchoti Road, Bhiwandi taluka. The victims, identified as 42-year-old Prafull Tangdi, BJP Youth Morcha Thane Rural District Vice President, and his 22-year-old cousin Tejas Tangdi, were attacked by four to five unidentified assailants late Monday night.

 

Tejas Tangdi
Tejas Tangdi

According to police reports, Prafull Tangdi and Tejas Tangdi, residents of Khardi village, were leaving their office JDT Enterprises around 11 PM when the assailants suddenly attacked them with sharp weapons, delivering multiple fatal blows. Both victims died on the spot.

 

The Bhiwandi Taluka Rural Police swiftly arrived at the scene after receiving the information. The bodies were sent for autopsy to the late Indira Gandhi Sub-District Hospital in Bhiwandi. BJP leaders gathered at the hospital after hearing the news. Senior Police Inspector Harshvardhan Barve confirmed the incident, stating that Prafull Tangdi was sitting with two colleagues at his office when the attack occurred. Police are currently examining CCTV footage from the area, and efforts are underway to identify and arrest the attackers soon.

 

Notably, Prafull Tangdi had survived a previous attack about a year ago. He was also involved in the real estate business, and it is suspected that this double murder may be linked to a professional dispute. However, police caution that the exact motive will only be clear after the accused are apprehended.

 

The police have registered a double murder case against the unidentified assailants and are actively searching for them. Further updates are awaited.

 

Comments

bottom of page