B747-437B From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (8 years 8 months 1 week 3 hours ago) and read 2789 times:
Air India's last three remaining Boeing 747-237B Classics have been removed from all scheduled international flights during the Winter 2004 schedule.
The aircraft will be retained as hot spares for the Boeing 747-337M Combis however and for Hajj charters as well as Delhi fog shuttles in December/January.
In the meanwhile though, the final planned scheduled international flights with these aircraft will occur in the upcoming weeks to Frankfurt, Tokyo and Bangkok - all in substitution for a Boeing 747-337M Combi that will be undergoing scheduled maintenance.
Frankfurt : The 742 will operate AI 165 of October 1 BOM-DEL-FRA arriving Frankfurt at 1130hrs and departing at 1400hrs.
Bangkok : The 742 will operate AI 302/305 of September 28 and October 5 BOM-DEL-BKK-NRT vv, arriving BKK at 2305 hrs through 0015 hrs on September 28/29 and October 5/6 and again 1610 hrs through 1720 hrs on September 29 and October 6.
Tokyo : The 742 will operate AI 302 of September 28 and October 5 BOM-DEL-BKK-NRT as well as AI 308 of October 2 BOM-DEL-NRT, in all cases arriving Tokyo at 0800hrs and departing at 1200hrs.
Spotters in these cities should keep an eye out for their likely last ever glimpse of these venerable workhorses.
Mrniji From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (8 years 8 months 1 week 3 hours ago) and read 2746 times:
I will miss them... why does AI actually retire them? OK, they are old, but doing well enough, he? too high operational costs? Is it better for AI to keep them for Haj etc. than selling them (I guess there must be a potential of buyers..)
Mrniji From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (8 years 8 months 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 2542 times:
What aircraft will replace the 742s on the BKK, NRT, JED routes then?
I thought the 742 is de facto already out of regular service and these routes are already served by 744s (NRT by 743), and the 742 is only used with high pax load
Thunderbird1 From United States of America, joined Jun 2004, 225 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (8 years 8 months 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 2487 times:
Too bad. You've gotta love the Emperor-named Classics.
Thunderbird1 From United States of America, joined Jun 2004, 225 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (8 years 8 months 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 2405 times:
Thanks for the photo, Sean.
Am I reading the date on that correctly--India Today, August 2004? Is there a good article on AI in that issue?
Interesting how the Emperor Shahjehan titles are placed below the windows in that photo....
Spdbrdconcorde From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 169 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (8 years 8 months 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 2366 times:
AirbusfanYYZ From Canada, joined Oct 2002, 1406 posts, RR: 29 Reply 11, posted (8 years 8 months 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 2349 times:
Delhi fog shuttles in December/January
In Dec/Jan DEL often has major fog, thus causing flight cancellations.
Pax need to be accomodated across network and in/out of DEL thus the flights are called "fog shuttles"
But I don't think this is their official name by AI.
Jasepl From India, joined Jul 2004, 3582 posts, RR: 44 Reply 12, posted (8 years 8 months 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 2348 times:
Spdbrd, it means manna for those of us here in Bombay!
AI are based in BOM and almost all of their flights originate or terminate here. During most of the year, AI operate a number of their flights via Delhi and we end up with belief-defying routes such as BOM-DEL-SIN or BOM-DEL-DXB.
In the winter, the fog is very bad at DEL in the nights and mornings, so AI's flights skip the DEL stop. As a result, AI need to do a Delhi fog shuttle to get their DEL pax to and from BOM.
CBphoto From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 1508 posts, RR: 6 Reply 13, posted (8 years 8 months 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 2332 times:
ohhh...I am going to miss those old birds when they finally do go. It was a AI 747 classic that gave me my first ride in the cockpit back in the day, sitting on my grandfathers lap, on the captains side. And heck, look at me now, training to become an airline pilot who would have thought.
btw what are the regs of the classics that are still flying with AI?
May they go to a better world, where the classics fly forever!
Peace
Magiccarpet From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2004, 5 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (8 years 8 months 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 2230 times:
My Salam to the great PW JT9D-7Q, Powering these 742s , I started as a apprentice in AI working on these powerful SUCKERS, the best engines that I ever worked on, till date; atleast with regards to changing engines (I hold type Lic on CF6, CFM56, RB211, V25 & Trents). You could replace a JT9D in 2hrs flat ( crew of 6), provided the LMM signed your O/T for rest of the shift .......................Those were the days at Sahar.
Hey Guys correct me if I am wrong, the TAJ MAHAL windows and MUGHAL paintings on the side panels were introduced for the first time on the AI 742s.
Eksath From United States of America, joined Aug 2004, 1140 posts, RR: 27 Reply 15, posted (8 years 8 months 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 2186 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW ARTICLE EDITOR
Hi Guys,
As a kid I flew Bombay-Trichy (spelling ?) on a Air India 747 (SURE ON THIS FACT) which was continuing to Australia (?) as part of regularly scheduled service. This is the details i remember and it was Fall 1979.
My question: Could this have been on one of these birds?
thanks
It was a very nice crew.(friendly to a kids ). It was my only flight on Air India....Then i took an Indian Airlines DC-3 (?) to CMB.
Would appreciate your input if these details on aircrafts make sense with the fleet.
AsianFA From Malaysia, joined Jul 2004, 76 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (8 years 8 months 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 2017 times:
I have always considered Air India as one of the most classic airlines with one of the most beautiful livery along with Thai International.Its a pity they are retiring the 747-200s.I am wondering does anyone have any pictures of the upper deck cabin on these classic aircrafts?Did they have a lounge instead of seats when they were first introduced??
Jaysit From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 19, posted (8 years 8 months 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 1958 times:
The Air India lounge on the Upper deck of the 742s was fabulous. It had a little bar to the left of the spiral staircase. Ethnic chic to the max. I think the only other airline that had it beat was Pan Am in the mid to late 70s when it introduced upper deck restaurant style dining.
Thunderbird1 From United States of America, joined Jun 2004, 225 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (8 years 8 months 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 1914 times:
Boy, that delivery pic of VT-EBE looks great. It must have been a very exciting time for Air-India to take on new 747s.
Thunderbird1 From United States of America, joined Jun 2004, 225 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (8 years 8 months 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 1890 times:
Boy, that delivery pic of VT-EBE looks great. It must have been a very exciting time for Air-India when they took on the new 747s.
B747-437B From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 23, posted (8 years 8 months 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 1779 times:
what are the regs of the classics that are still flying with AI?
Still airworthy are VT-EGA/EGB/EGC, plus VT-EFU is parked on the engineering ramps sans engines and is being cannibalized for spares.
That is an awesome pic!! got any more? and if you dont mind me asking, is your mom in that pic?
Thanks. Yes, my mother IS in the picture but in the interest of not exciting the horny teenagers here I won't be identifying which one she is. Just remember, this was over 30 years ago!!!
As a kid I flew Bombay-Trichy (spelling ?) on a Air India 747 (SURE ON THIS FACT) which was continuing to Australia (?) as part of regularly scheduled service. This is the details i remember and it was Fall 1979. My question: Could this have been on one of these birds?
In 1979 the Australia flights routed from Bombay to Madras (not Trichy - AI has never flown there) and onward to Australia via Singapore. To be specific they routed BOM-MAA-SIN-PER-SYD-MEL-PER-SIN-MAA-BOM. Those were the days that AI used to maintain a crew base in Perth to cover the domestic Australian legs as well as the Singapore sectors.
And no, none of the aircraft still in the fleet were around in 1979. The oldest of them (VT-EGA) was delivered on December 23, 1979 and made her revenue service debut on January 1, 1980 on the Tokyo route.
B741 From Canada, joined Jan 2004, 716 posts, RR: 1 Reply 24, posted (8 years 8 months 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 1747 times:
Thank you for the post. Hopefully I can find a timetable of the last flights for my timetable collection.
Being Bilingual, I Speak English And Aviation
25 Jaysit: Sean - did your mum serve with Colleen Jhabvala? She was this superglam stew for AI who was on all their ads. I remember attending her wedding as a ki
26 B747-437B: I wrote this piece over 4 years ago when Shahjehan and Rajendra Chola were retired from the fleet, but it is just as applicable to the foursome of rem
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From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
From United States of America, joined Jun 2004, 225 posts, 
From Canada, joined Oct 2002, 1406 posts, 
who would have thought. 
From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2004, 5 posts, 
). It was my only flight on Air India....Then i took an Indian Airlines DC-3 (?) to CMB.
From Malaysia, joined Jul 2004, 76 posts, 
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