Among the numerous aircraft that took off from Mumbai on Monday, one particular large plane stood out as it lifted off the runway and performed a brief dance, rolling its wings up and down in a final farewell. This signature maneuver, captured by plane spotters, indicated the final departure of Air India’s Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet from India, its home for more than four decades.
Air India sold its last four Boeing 747-400s to Aersale, a US company specializing in aging commercial aircraft. The jumbo, VT-EVA, named ‘Agra,’ was the first of the four to leave. Air India operated its final jumbo jet flight in March 2021 from Delhi to Mumbai.
The Tata Group made the decision to sell the jumbo jets due to their economic disadvantage compared to modern fuel-efficient aircraft. The jumbo’s ‘wing wave’ evoked nostalgia on social media, but the manner in which the aircraft was sent off without a proper farewell raised questions. The plane departed for Plainfield, US, where it will be dismantled for spare parts.
“When a new aircraft joins an airline’s fleet, it’s typically met with great fanfare and a water salute by fire engines. The Air India B747 has carried presidents and prime ministers throughout its decades of service, and it has played a crucial role in the mass evacuation of Indians from conflict zones. This aircraft holds a significant place in India’s aviation history. India should have given it a more suitable farewell and preserved one B747 as a museum exhibit for future generations,” said Capt. Manoj Hathi, Air India’s former director of operations.
“It’s unfortunate how they sent it off. The aircraft was covered in dust and not even given a thorough wash before its final flight,” he added, contrasting it with the elaborate farewell ceremonies held by other airlines like British Airways for their B747s.
Former Jet Airways CEO Sanjiv Kapoor expressed his sadness on Twitter: “Sad to see the end of an era. The 747s represented the pinnacle of JRD Tata’s Air India… I wish we could have kept one in his honor as a museum piece.”
These Boeing 747-400s, it should be noted, are the later variants of the jumbo jet. The Boeing 747 classic, which first joined Air India’s fleet in March 1971, has long since left the country.
“A team of engineers from Air India’s MRO facility and on-site technical representatives for Aersale (the purchaser) have been working for months to prepare the aircraft for flight, including inspections, engine runs, and return-to-service procedures. The aircraft have been de-registered and are now registered with the FAA (United States). An FAA Designated Airworthiness Inspector (DAR-T) from the New York field office will sign off on each special airworthiness certificate before each flight, allowing for ‘one-time’ operations to facilitate the ferry flights,” said Steven Giordano, managing partner of Nomadic Aviation Group.
