A retired Boeing 737-200, registered VT-EGD, spent 12 unnoticed years at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport before Air India realised it still owned the aircraft. The jet, built in 1982 and once used by Indian Airlines, Alliance Air, and for mail operations in the Northeast, last flew commercially in 2012. Though officially grounded at Kolkata, it was never properly deregistered or scrapped.
During the airline’s transition to the Tata Group between 2021 and 2023, the aircraft slipped off internal asset records. Airport authorities continued sending parking invoices, but because the plane was missing from Air India’s systems, the bills were either ignored or disputed.
The confusion came to light in mid-2025 when Kolkata airport urgently sought apron space for an upcoming hangar project. When officials pointed out the abandoned 737, Air India executives were reportedly shocked. A manual search of old logbooks finally confirmed ownership. Air India’s CEO later described the incident as highly unusual.
On November 14, 2025, the aircraft was dismantled, cut into transportable sections, and taken by road to Bengaluru’s AIESL facility to be used as a training mock-up. The airport has since recovered pending dues and reclaimed the space.
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