Air India finally sells its ‘Baby Boeing’ it didn’t even know it owned. Here's the curious case of lost Boeing 737-200

Air India has successfully divested a Boeing 737-200, registered as VT-EHH, an aircraft so long forgotten that the airline itself was unaware of its ownership. This cargo-configured jet, over four decades old, had been lying idle at a remote parking bay at Kolkata airport since its grounding in 2012. Its rediscovery occurred only after Kolkata airport authorities prompted Air India to remove the abandoned plane, bringing a curious case of institutional memory lapse to light.

The aircraft's disappearance from official records and corporate consciousness is attributed to its decommissioning for use by India Post and subsequent administrative oversights during the years leading up to Air India's privatization. Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson confirmed the sale and transfer of VT-EHH, describing it as an unusual disposal given the airline's recent realization of its ownership. This transaction represents the removal of a literal relic from the airline's past, a tangible symbol of the complexities inherited by the Tata Group post-privatization.

Delivered to Indian Airlines in September 1982, the Boeing 737-200, affectionately known as the "Baby Boeing," boasts a 43-year operational history. It was leased to Alliance Air in 1998, returning as a freighter in 2007, before officially transferring to Air India that same year following the merger of Indian Airlines into the national carrier under Indian Government ownership. Its final sale underscores Air India's ongoing efforts to streamline its fleet and operations, shedding legacy assets that no longer align with its modern strategic objectives.