Bon voyage: Air India's Boeing 747, takes off last flight from Indian air base

NEW DELHI: Once known as Queen of skies, Air India Boeing 747 on Monday flew out of Mumbai's international airport. The aircraft which once ferried Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Prime Minister and VVIP's took its last flight from Mumbai base marking the end of an era. The plane was used for long international flights.
The aircraft is off to Plainfield in US, where it will be dismantled and be stripped for parts.There are four Air India Boeing 747's, the last of which ceased operations four years back.


Air India received delievery of its first Boeing 747 aircrafts on March 22, 1971.
The pilots while taking its final flight off Indian base performed a "Wing Wave" which is an aviation tradition for retiring or concluding flights.

Airlines across the world are replacing the Boeing 747's with much better and more efficient jets.
According to a report by The Economic Times, the four Boeing 747-400 airplanes have found a new owner - US-based AerSale, a supplier of aftermarket commercial jet engines and parts.
The last flight of Air India 747's was in 2021, since then, they've been parked at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
Nomadic Aviation Group managing partner Steven Giordano told TOI: “A local team of Engineers from the Air India MRO facility and on-site technical representatives for Aersale (the purchaser) have been getting the aircraft ready for flight for several months with inspections, engine runs, and return-to-service actions. The aircraft have been de-registered and placed on the FAA (United States) registry. An FAA Designated Airworthiness Inspector (DAR-T) from the New York field office has/will sign off each special airworthiness certificate prior to flight which will permit ‘one-time’ operations for the purpose of the ferry flight. I believe these aircraft last flew in 2021.” Nomadic Aviation Group is flying out the jumbos from Mumbai to their new owners.