Useful Links

Here I have listed links to other sites which you may find interesting. You will find that Air-India is constantly in the news, and has a large fan following. I have listed these topically, and hope to add many more as we go along.
ps: I may not agree with everything they say, and sometimes the information may be wrong. However, that is for the reader to judge.

Tata Group Civil Aviation History

  • Magic Carpet, The Staff Magazine of Air-India, Vol. 6, No. 8. October 1962. Released on the 30th Anniversary of the First Airmail Flight of Tata Sons piloted by JRD Tata, Neville Vincent and Homi Barucha is stages, this entire issue is dedicated to the flight with lots of rare pictures and information. I have provided a link for you to view or download the pdf from my dropbox account.
  • The TATA review published in December 1982. This issue is devoted to the 50th anniversary celebrations of Tatas in aviation. JRD Tata re-enacted his historic flight from Karachi to Bombay, in an almost similar airplane, and this time at the young age of 78 years. There is other material in the issue besides this flight, and I have provided a link for you to view or download the pdf from my dropbox account.
J. R. D. Tata
  • GENTLEMAN JEH. An article in the Sunday Mid-Day, December 5, 1993, by R k Karanjia. Jeh's life was like a perfect Victorian sonnet: with a beautiful beginning, robust middle and gentle ending.
  • Remembering JRD Tata: The Father of Indian Civil Aviation. By Air India Express 29 July, 2016. On the 29th of July, the entire aviation industry and the nation itself celebrated the 112th birth anniversary of the iconic industrialist Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy (JRD) Tata, known better as the Father of Indian Civil Aviation.
  • A Man of Many Talents. A website hosted by the Tata group with interesting photographs and information on J.R.D. Tata.
  • The Sky is the Limit. The Taj Group of Hotels salutes its spirited Chairman J.R.D. Tata who, on October 15, 1982, fifty years to the day, re-enacted India's first solo flight from Karachi to Bombay, in a frail and now antiquated Leopard Moth. 1982, The Taj Mahal Inter Continental Bombay Magazine, Vol.11, No.4.

Air-India History

  • Indian Hostesses Pretty Anglo-Indian firls serve their country's leading airline. September, 1946, LIFE Magazine.
  • Air India International. An article in Shell Aviation News, Number 239, May 1958 by K. U. Matthew. India's international airline celebrates the 10th anniversary of its inception in June 1948. An early contemporary account of the airlines early years.
  • Skeletons Dance in Tata's Cupboard. Sinister story behind Air-India Resignations. August 3, 1951, by Cross Roads Voice of India Vol. III, No. 13.
  • 20 Years of Magic Carpet Service (Air-India). Esso Air-World Volume 20, Number 6,​ January / June 1968.
  • Aviation News Volume 1 November 22. An article on Indian Aviation dated c. 1972.
  • Air-India celebrate 25 yeras of International Services, since on June 8, 1948. June 7, 1973, by FLIGHT International.
  • Airliners International (Fall 1973) salutes Air-India for using the vast dimensions of the 747, outside and inside, to convey a national motif. Well done! (courtesy John Evanich).
  • Air-India sur la piste du centaure volant. 1977, by H.P. Mama.
  • Air-India's Maharajah. Air-India enjoy the reputation of being among the world's best-run airlines. Although it has only 15 aircraft (five Jumbos and ten 707's) its reaps a harvest of profits of over Rs. 30 Crores per year. March 5, 1978, by Khushwant Singh., The Illustrated Weekly of India.
  • The Scene. Mayon Endangered, My Inflight Liberty.
  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft. Vol.5, Issue 54. Airlines of the Worlds Air-India. Published by Orbis Publishing Ltd dated 1982.
  • Palace Intrigues. As Air-India's chairman and managing director fight, the Maharajah's profit slump.17 - 23 July, 1988, by An Ananda Bazaar Publication (Sunday).
  • Air-India on the rebound. Rajan Jatley, Air-India's dynamic managing director, has taken a tough and successful approach towards Air-India's outdated work practices. Partial privatisation of the carrier has been recommended by a special committee, appointed by India's planning commission. October, 1989, by Interavia Aerospace Review.
  • Air India's Inaugural Flight. (nd) dadinani.com
  • Marul of a Mascot. Bobby Kooka, the wolrd's most envied mid wife gave birth to the Maharaja in 1964, Ever since, the turbaned typhoon has through Kooka's Sardonic Wit, caused a ruffle. J.R.D. would often buzz Bobby and say: "You have done it again, it government is on my back". In turn, the unputdownable Bobby wrote, "Foolishly yours" - a little book with the roar of a thousand airplane engines. February 28, 1993, by The afternoon of the Sunday.
  • Air-India in the forefront of International Aviation. Air-India reaffirms its commitment to stay in the forefront of the international aviation with the first of the four Boeing 747-400s joining its fleet this month. 1993, by A.T. Jayanthi.
  • 'He deserves a better carrier', As the Air India Maharajah turns 50 this year, Santosh Vallury talk to his creator S K (Bobby) Kooka who takes him on a quick trip down memory lane and the way it used to be. July 8-9, 1995, by The Metropolis.
  • A question of identity. A symbol that has developed a personality of his own. July 19, 1996, by Nalini Murlidhar.
  • Air India : The history of the aircraft fleet. 26 July 2004, by Sean Mendis.​
  • The long and short of brand properties. Air India Maharaja: Bobby Kooka, the man who conceived the Maharaja said, ‘He may look like royalty, but he isn’t royal’. The figure first made it’s appearance in 1946 and was later consistently used across brochures and some legendary campaigns. 21 July 2009, by Bhatnaturally.
  • Pretty girls now find their way into ads for almost anything: Bobby Kooka, Despite his rather "pucca" education-at St. Peter's, York, and the prestigious Brasenose college at Oxford, he displays a perceptive understanding of the Indian attitude to humour, and involves himself in several social service projects-protecting wildlife and beautifying Bombay among them-with a sincere dedication that makes for concrete results rather than screaming headlines. 9 March, 2015, by Vir Sanghvi.
  • Air India, the national flag carrier, is on roll, having ordered 68 new aircraft that would enable ot to launch non-stop flights from India to the USA, besides operating flgihts to cities across the globe. 2006.
  • Pretty girls now find their way into ads for almost anything: Bobby Kooka. Despite his rather "pucca" education-at St. Peter's, York, and the prestigious Brasenose college at Oxford, he displays a perceptive understanding of the Indian attitude to humour, and involves himself in several social service projects-protecting wildlife and beautifying Bombay among them-with a sincere dedication that makes for concrete results rather than screaming headlines. 9 May 2015, By Vir Sanghvi, By India Today.
  • When Air India Was Owned By Tata’s, February 4, 2016, By Al Arafat Sherfuddeen.
  • The Story of Air India’s Very First International Flight. June 8, 1998 marked the 50th anniversary of Air India’s maiden international flight – a milestone in the history of Indian civil aviation. 25 March, 2016, by Arzan, by Parsi Khabar.
  • Air India Flew Its First International Flight 68 Years Ago. Here’s All You Need To Know About It. Jun 10, 2016, by Shumali Sharma
  • 3 November 1950. On the crash of the Malabar Princess by Bryan R. Swopes.
  • Creativity in Advertising. Speech by Mr. S.K.Kooka at the World Advertising Conference, London in June 1967.
  • Time for the Maharaja to Stand Tall. Sep 17 2016 : The Economic Times (Mumbai) by Anirban Chowdhury and Mihir Mishra. Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju in his inimitable way is attempting to bring back the glory that Air India once commanded. But more interesting is the kinship that Raju, a scion of the royal family of Vizianagram, finds with the airline's iconic mascot: The Maharaja.
  • India and Her Airlines. by The Captain's Log, The Journal of the World Airline Hostorical Society, Inc. Winter 2006 - Issue 31-3.
  • AI to host rare ancient artefacts on August 15. The Museum will include, among others, ancient painting of artist such as M.F. Hussain, wooden gates of ancient temples, stone sculptures of 10-12th century, etc. January 29, 2017, by Neha LM Tripathi, Mumbai, Asian Age.
  • J.R.D. Tata Memorial Trust. Speech on the occasion of the 113th Birth Anniversary of the Mr. J.R.D. Tata. by Chairman: M.P. Mascarenhas on July 2017.
  • Yesterday's Maharajah in 'Mayday' mode. The dismal story of how Air-India, once the coutry's pride, has been virtually grounded by 'maximum government, minimum governance'. August 16, 2017, by Ashwini Phadnis, BusinessLine.
  • Here is a link to Airwhiners.net. It contains a complete list of Air-India aircraft, with registration numbers, names and more information. This is complied by Seam Mendis. Unfortunately, it mixes up both Air-India Ltd., and Air-India International Ltd. However, it is very comprehensive, and a useful reference tool.
  • A Tale Of Salvador Dali And 500 Ashtrays He Designed For Air India, April 23, 2018, by Nikita Jaiswal - Homegrown, 
  • Air-India like you've never seen before. May 14 2018: 'Revisiting the Golden Age of Travel with Air-India' With the help of private collectors and archival material, AD revisits the beauty and grace of the Maharajah Lounges and the Emperor fleet, before the titles came to an end in 1988. by Arcihtectual Digest (AD).
  • The Maharaja and his many moods, captured for posterity. The talent that the airline promoted — ranging from artists to sports people — is also captured in the manual through caricatures of paintings that adorned the inside panels and outside area of the aircraft that the airline flew. In fact, the Maharaja himself can be seen all padded up with a bat in his hand ready for a game of cricket. by 30 May, 2018, by Ashwini Phadnis, The HIndu Business Line.
  • Glitz, Glamour & Patriarchy – Inside The Lives Of Indian Air Hostesses From the ‘70s & ‘80s. by Devyani Nighoskar, dated June 6, 2018.
  • When JRD Tata used to clean Air India's toilet and wiped dust off an airline counter. As chairman of Air India, JRD Tata would take personal interest in even minute issues like a dirty toilet inside the aircraft, wordings on Air India hoardings or the level to which wine was poured into a wine glass. The remarkable success story of Tata Airlines, which was later nationalised, also holds business management lessons for present day airlines which are facing losses year after year. 24 November, 2018, by Nikhil Agarwal, LiveMint.
  • Pictures Of Indian Air Hostesses From The 60s And 70s Are The Ultimate Travel Throwback. 4 August, 2019, Pradamini Kumari, by ScoopWhoop.
  • PM Inaugurates Memorial Honouring Victims of 2 Plane Crashes in France. The memorial at Nid d'Aigle, at the foot of Mount Blanc, was dedicated to Homi Bhabha and several other Indians who were among the passengers and crew of the two Air India planes that crashed in 1950 and 1966. 23 August, 2019,by NDTV.
  • The Good Old Days of Air Travel. There was a time when air travel was glamorous and with J.R.D. Tata's vision, we could have had the world's finest airlines. Unfortunately, politics took over. 22 September, 2019 by Vir Sanghvi, By HindustanTimes.
  • Luxury and Glamor of Flying on Air India in Good Old Days: A Myth to Our Next Generation. The golden age of air travel and Air India were synonymous in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. With everything from the fleet to the travel cabins to the on-board service to the inflight dining to the air hostesses having epitomized sheer luxury, Air India used to pamper travelers in the sky long before the world went gaga over the Etihad Residence and Singapore Airlines became one of the world’s best airlines. October 2019, by IndiaEagle.com.
  • Air India is in the Guinness Book of World Records. Air India entered into Guinness Book of World Records for the civil airline that had evacuated the most people till date. For the uninitiated, movie ‘Airlift’ staring Akshay Kumar and Nimrat Kaur, is based on the mass evacuation of Indians from Kuwait in the year 1990.15 November 2019, by Kairos Institute.
  • DEATH IN THE ALPS.Two planes from the same airline crashed in the same spot in the Alps, 16 years apart. Now the melting ice is releasing their secrets. Simon Akam travels to Chamonix to meet the investigator who believes the truth has been buried. December/January 2020, by Simon Akam - The Economist.
  • Air India in its glorious years. Imagine flying in a mighty plane with fuselage painted like a palace from outside and it’s cabin interiors meticulously adorned in Indian heritage themes, giving pervading sense of rich Indian heritage from the moment you enter what has been called “Your palace in the sky” and the feeling truly shown in warm Indian hospitality of the glamorous crew. 24 February 2020 by unusualescape.com.
  • Here’s Why Air India Flew 2-year-old Elephant to Geneva from Bangalore for Salvador Dali in 1967. Riding the time machine back to the golden days of Indian aviation when there were no cheap flights to or from India, we at Travel Beats, are up with a most interesting yet lesser-known story about Air India. March 2020, by IndiaEagle.com.

Air India Collectibles

Air-India Art Collection

Air-India Trivia


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  • Air India Boeing 707-437 - "About Air Safety" - 1961
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  • The history of BOEING 707 | Boeing 707 Documentary: the plane that change the way we fly
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  • THE AIR INDIA ANTHEM: Hum Hai Air Indian!!!
  • Final bow for the Maharajah? A little bird says Tatas may come full circle and acquire Air-India. Will the regal mascot strut again as he once did, asks Prabhakar Mundkur. November 14, 2019, Seniors Today.
Air India on the Big Screen
Air-India in Bollywood
  • A video clip from Movie Mera Naam Joker, which was released in December 18, 1970 shows  Raj Kapoor along with Dara Singh bidding goodbye to Russian star Kseniya Ryabinkina at Bombay Airport and in the video you can also see the splendor of the Air-India Boeing 707 preparing for take off. A rare glimpse of Bombay Airport in the early 1970s. In the background you will hear a super-hit track from his earlier film, Awara.
​Air-India in Hollywood
  • This is from the iconic film Midnight Cowboy shot in 1968 or thereabouts showing a brief glimpse of the Air-India office on 5th Avenue, New York. The clip features John Voight strutting around the street, and has the celebrated number ‘Everybody’s talkin’ sung by Harry Nilsson playing in the background. We are grateful to Neeraj Kumar for his sharp eye in spotting this.
Indian Civil Aviation
  • https://www.boeing.com/commercial/ - This link provides a list of every delivery of a Boeing plane, going back to the late-1950's, for every airline. (including, it appears, a couple of orders by the IAF?)
  • www.simpleflying.com is the best source of up-to-date information on what’s happening in Indian Civil Aviation. The page is updated almost daily and something anyone wanting to keep up with this space should visit regularly.
  • 12 Airlines grounded in 21 years. While Indian skies have seen tremendous passenger growth, the country has had its share of airlines that ran out of fuel — 12 in 21years. by Saurabh Sinha, 27 March, 2019, Time of India.​
  • Here is the story of Dattatray Patwardhan, India's First Airplane Pilot.  I got this as a forward on social media, and cannot vouch for authenticity.
Indian Airlines
  • Indian Airlines. By John Stroud. Esso Air-World Volume II, Number 4,​ January / February 1959. 


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Airmails

  • An interesting episode about Zeppelins, and the philatelic aspect.​
  • The Great Britain Philatelic Society has posted a superb reference set of English language versions of UPU Conventions and Related Documents, from the Berne Treaty of 1874 through to the Extraordinary Congress of 2019. 
  • The Catapult Mail. During the late 1920s and early 1930s, the need for greater speed across Atlantic was recognized in the carriage of mail between Europe and the Americas. It is an interesting story of man's bringing together the knowledge learned from sailing the sea and flying in the air for the benefit of man's needs, as mail could be carried in the last leg by an airplane launched from a ship while still at sea. (Courtesy: Rainbow Stamp News, Monthly e-stamp magazine Dehradun, January 2021, Vol.XIII No.157)
Wartime History
  • Money used in Prisoner-of-War Camps in India. As a part of British Empire that often remained outside the theatres of war, India served as a safe haven for housing the Prisoners of War. Camps were set up, often in places situated in the hinterland, during the Boer War and the two World Wars. The monetary transactions in these camps were facilitated by use of Coupons. 12 May 2010, by Rezwan Razack, http://indianbanknote.blogspot.com/
Youth Philately
  • Glossary Of Philatelic Terms. This glossary defines nearly 300 terms frequently encountered by stamp collectors and cover collectors. Precise definitions for many philatelic terms do not exist. One collector, dealer or society may define a term in one way, while others will use the term in a slightly different way. 21st May, 2015 by insights. 
  • How to care for a Stamp Collection. Stamps are popular collector's items. Due to their historical value and the plethora of art/design options available, many people have taken up philately as a hobby. 20th February 2020 by Michael, by mystampguide.com
  • Hobbying at Home: The Ultimate Guide to Stamp Collecting. Thinking about stamp collecting as a hobby? Be careful; many novice stamp collectors quickly become addicted. That’s because stamp collecting combines art, history, sociology and culture—not to mention it can be a sound financial investment. Stamp collecting can be a solo hobby you do to relax or one you share with a close friend or family member. It’s a hobby you can pass on to a child or a grandchild. By hobbiestogether.com.
  • Topical stamp collecting. How to start thematic philately. Creative tips in assembling a topical postage stamp collection. 2-clicks-stamps.com
  • How to Get Your Kids Interested in Stamp Collecting. You can’t force your children’s interest in your favorite hobbies, but you can get them excited by making them relevant to their lives. Foster your kids’ interest by explaining that some of the benefits of stamp collecting include. By ourparentinglife.com
  • How Should I Store and Display My Stamps? Once you have decided what to collect, and what you need to get started down the path of collecting, you have to decide how you will store and display your stamps. By brixtonchrome.com​