Air India Found Its Lost Boeing 737 After 13 Years With a $120,000 Parking Bill

Air India recently recovered a Boeing 737-200 that had been missing from its official records for 13 years. The aircraft, grounded in 2012, was found sitting on a remote apron at Kolkata Airport (CCU). This discovery came with a substantial parking fine of nearly 10 million rupees (approximately $120,000) for the accumulated charges.

The incident highlights significant challenges in aircraft asset management and record-keeping, especially during airline mergers and privatization. The 43-year-old jet, registered as VT-EHH, is now being repurposed. It will serve as a ground training platform for maintenance crews in Bengaluru.

The Curious Case of the Forgotten Boeing 737

The Air India lost Boeing 737 story is rooted in a complex corporate history. The aircraft was first registered to Indian Airlines in 1982. Indian Airlines was another state-owned carrier. It merged with Air India in 2007.

Following the merger, the plane was converted to a freighter. It was leased out to the Indian postal service (India Post) for cargo operations. It was deregistered in 2012 and parked at the airport. Staff turnover and poor documentation meant the jet slipped out of the airline’s official fixed-asset list.

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson noted the unusual nature of the discovery. He stated the airline had no record of the jet until the airport contacted them. Initially, the airline reportedly denied ownership of the plane. An internal audit, however, confirmed the aircraft belonged to Air India.

Regulatory Oversight and Record-Keeping Failures

This situation raises serious questions about aviation regulatory oversight. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) mandates strict tracking of all aircraft. This includes maintenance logs and component serial numbers.

Industry expert John Strickland, founder of JLS Consulting, commented on the difficulty of such a loss. “Given the regulatory oversight, it’s hard to comprehend that an airline could ever ‘lose’ an aircraft,” he said. “Things like maintenance and individual component serial numbers would need to be clearly documented.”

• Mandatory Documentation: Aircraft require annual refiling of paperwork to remain airworthy.
• Ownership Trail: The merger and subsequent lease created a confusing paper trail.
• Deregistration Gap: The plane was deregistered, but its physical location was forgotten.

Impact on Airport Operations and Finance

The nearly 10 million rupee Kolkata Airport parking bill highlights the financial impact of abandoned aircraft. Airports worldwide struggle with unclaimed or derelict planes. These aircraft occupy valuable space. They also incur significant opportunity costs.

Kolkata Airport officials noted this was not an isolated incident. The removal of the Boeing 737-200 training aircraft marked the 14th abandoned plane cleared in five years. This demonstrates a broader issue with aircraft decommissioning. The IATA and ICAO stress the need for clear disposal policies. These policies ensure timely removal of non-operational assets.

Future of Aircraft Decommissioning

Air India’s decision to move the jet to Bengaluru for training is a practical solution. It gives the old airframe a new purpose. It provides hands-on experience for engineers. This avoids scrapping a valuable training resource. The incident serves as a stark reminder for all global carriers. Robust aircraft asset management systems are essential. They must cover the entire lifecycle, from delivery to decommissioning. For more on global flight operation news, visit flying.flights. The oversight of a single asset can lead to significant financial penalties. It also exposes gaps in institutional memory.

Key Takeaways

• 13-Year Oversight: Air India lost track of a Boeing 737-200, grounded at Kolkata Airport in 2012, due to staff turnover and poor record-keeping following a 2007 merger.
• Financial Penalty: The airline paid a parking fine of nearly 10 million rupees (approx. $120,000) for the 13 years the jet occupied a remote parking bay.
• Repurposing: The 43-year-old aircraft was transported to Bengaluru to be used as a non-flying maintenance training platform.
• Industry Warning: The case underscores the critical need for strict aircraft asset management and regulatory compliance (DGCA) during fleet transitions and mergers.