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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.

Woman behind Metro success

The nine days of Navratri celebrate goddesses who embody strength in different forms; valour, compassion, creativity, austerity, devotion, justice, protection, forgiveness and wisdom. In our annual Navratri series, we celebrate the lives of nine women who strive to build happy and safe spaces for themselves and those around them.


PART - 8


Name: Ashwini Bhide | Where: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Name: Ashwini Bhide | Where: Mumbai, Maharashtra

She has multiple feathers in her cap, but she owes a lot to her leadership of the Mumbai Metro Line 3 (Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ) project. She is popularly called as the “Metro Woman” and is the first name to come to our mind when it comes to attributing the success of establishing a smoother transport network in a heavily crowded city of Mumbai. As the Managing Director of MMRC, IAS Officer Ashwini Bhide was at the helm of this massive infrastructure initiative aimed at decongesting Mumbai’s roads and providing a high-capacity, modern transit system. She faced innumerable hurdles, but she continued her good work undeterred. From legal, environmental, to logistical challenges— even massive resistance over the Aarey car shed issue — Ashwini remained steadfast in her commitment to make Mumbai a convenient place to commute.


Speaking to 'The Perfect Voice' Bhide said, “Challenges are part of our life and our lives are shaped by how we deal with the challenges. If we work hard with optimism and positive attitude, then it is not impossible to overcome hurdles and odds coming our way. While dreaming big we also need to be pragmatic and keep short term goals for ourselves.”


Women have many reasons to draw inspiration from Bhide especially with very few women having got the opportunity to hold this post in the state. Bhide is seen as one of the most influential, with Chief Ministers picking their confidants for it.

When asked what was the turning point in her life when she made up her mind to embark on this journey of excellence, Bhide said, “I failed my first attempt of the Civil services exam at the preliminary stage. Until that time, I never experienced failure. It dismayed me but also made me ponder upon my mistakes, my casual attitude to preparation for the exam and probably my over confidence. After the failed attempt, I prepared for my second attempt as if it was my last attempt and I succeeded with flying colours.”


It has never been a cake walk for Bhide as her career has not been without challenges. She was abruptly transferred in 2020 from the MMRC under controversial circumstances, which many perceived as politically motivated due to her firm stance on the Metro project. She also faced criticism in May this year when Mumbai’s newly inaugurated underground metro station at Acharya Atre Chowk was forced to shut after heavy rainfall led to a water-logging incident. However, she stood strong, and gave detailed convincing clarification to all the questions raised leaving no room for further criticism.


“Smaller successes boost our confidence and energise us to take up bigger challenges. We must also appreciate that failures too are an integral part of the path to success. Failures toughen and embolden us,” said Bhide.


While setting an example of an independent and strong woman, who doesn’t look behind while on the path of her good governance, Bhide believes that the surrounding environment and family support has a major role to play in scripting the journey of our career.


Bhide said, “Fortunately, it was not that challenging for me since I come from a family which is very simple, humble but understands the importance of education and self-dependence of daughters. I grew up in very small towns, went to vernacular medium schools, however the surrounding environment was very supportive. And I am sure many women in India would find themselves in a similar situation. If not, you would find many other supporting hands around you.”


In a field often criticised for red tape and inefficiency, Bhide stands out as an epitome of progressive governance. Her career sets an inspiring example of how committed public service, when combined with professionalism and courage, can bring about meaningful change in society.

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