The iconic Air India Boeing 747, once known as the “Queen of the skies,” has completed its final flight from Mumbai’s international airport. This marked the end of an era for the aircraft that had carried Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Prime Ministers, and other VVIPs on long international flights. The plane is now headed to Plainfield in the US, where it will be dismantled and stripped for parts.
On March 22, 1971, Air India received its first Boeing 747 aircraft. Over the years, four remaining planes have been sold to US-based AerSale. The pilots of the final flight performed a “Wing Wave,” a traditional gesture in aviation for retiring or concluding flights. Airlines worldwide are phasing out Boeing 747s in favor of more efficient jets.
A team of engineers from Air India’s maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility, along with technical representatives from AerSale, have been preparing the aircraft for their ferry flight to the US. The planes have been de-registered and placed on the FAA registry, with each one requiring special airworthiness certificates before they can fly. The Nomadic Aviation Group is handling the logistics of flying the jumbos to their new owner.