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    • Indian State Air Services >
      • 1929 Karachi - Delhi via Hyderabad & Jodhpur
    • Delhi Flying Club >
      • 1931 Emergency Flight by Delhi Flying Club
      • 1932 Karachi - Delhi
    • Indian Trans-Continental Airways >
      • 1933 Karachi - Calcutta >
        • 1933 Eastwards: Karachi - Calcutta
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      • 1933 Karachi - Singapore Extension
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    • Experimental & Survey Flights. >
      • 1931 England - Australia Flight >
        • 1st Experimental Flight
        • 2nd Experimental Flight
      • 1938 Flying Boat Coogee
    • Star Line
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    • 1931 - Karachi - Madras: Route Survey Flight
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      • Official Southbound
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      • 1935 Bombay-Hyderabad Errors on Stamp
    • 1935 - Bombay - Calcutta demonstration flight
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    • 1936 - Madras to Colombo via Trichinopoly
    • 1937 - First Flight to Bhuj
    • 1937 - Delhi - Bombay via Gwalior, Bhopal & Indore
    • 1938 - Karachi - Madras extension to Colombo via Trichnopoly
    • 1938 - Trichinopoly - Trivandrum extension
    • 1938 - Mansoon halt at Poona
    • 1946 - Bombay - Calcutta via Nagpur
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      • The Postage Stamp
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      • Special Flight Cachet
      • Postage Rates gallery
      • Local Cancellations
      • Private Covers Gallery
      • Interesting Places of Origin & Destinations >
        • Interesting Destinations
        • Interesting Places of Origin
        • Interesting Places of Origin & Destinations
      • More interesting covers
      • Return Flight covers
      • Other Philatelic Curiosities
      • Award winning exhibit
    • 1948 - 1953 Early Route Expansion
    • 1954 - 1959 Early Route Expansion
    • 1960 - 1965 Air-India Boeing 707 Era.
    • 1966 - 1970 Air-India Boeing 707 Era.
    • 1971 - 1975 Boeing 747 & Other Aircraft Era
    • 1976 Onward Boeing 747 & Other Aircraft Era
    • Crash Mail Covers
    • Postal Meter panels
  • Indian Airlines
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    • 1980 - Onward
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    • B.O.A.C. >
      • B.O.A.C. Comet 1 Jetliner Service London to Colombo August 1952
      • B.O.A.C. Comet 1 Jetliner Service London to Singapore October 1952
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      • B.O.A.C. VC 10 40th Anniversary of Regular Airmail
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Lockheed Constellation L-749 image gallery

The newly formed Air-India International was fortunate to receive early delivery of three Lockheed Constellation L-749 aircraft very shortly after it was formed, as a result of an order cancellation by another airline. These airplanes were delivered to Bombay in March 1948 itself, and hence plans could be speeded up to launch the service from Bombay to London in June if the same year itself.
The first three were L-749 Constellations :
  • VT-CQP Malabar Princess. Crashed into Mont Blanc on 3 November 1950
  • VT-CQR Rajput Princess. Sold on 15 January 1958
  • VT-CQS Mogul Princess (Mughal Princess). Sold on 15 January 1958
In October 1949, Air-India acquired two L-749A Constellations, and they were:
  • VT-DAR Maratha Princess. Sold on 15 January 1958
  • VT-DAS Himalayan Princess. Sold on 15 January 1958
Two more L-749A Constellations were acquired still later to make it a total of seven L-749 series Constellations acquired by Air-India
  • VT-DEO Bengal Princess. Sold.
  • VT-DEP Kashmir Princess. Exploded en route Hong Kong to Jakarta on 11 April 1955.

Picture
Prime Minister Nehru with on his right Capt. J.D. Choksi and on his left A.C. Gazdar.
(ex - John Stroud Collection)

VT-CQP Malabar Princess.

Picture
London, 9th June 1948 Arrival of 1st Schedule service from Bombay
​Air-India L-749 VT-CQP Malabar Princess at precisely at 23:00 hrs B.S.T. 
Picture
London 9th June 1948
Arrival of 1st Schedule Service from Bombay VT-CPQ Malabar Princess.
Left to Right: Capt Jatar, f/o Dhuru, Hasliss Miss McCay, R/o Sule, F/E Desouza, Chief Hasliss Miss Salway, 
N/O Mani and flight Purses Ganesh.

(ex-John Stroud Collection)
Picture
11 June 1948 London Airport, VT-CQP Malabar Princess prior to departure on 1st Scheduled E'bound service.
Picture
11 June 1948 London Airport, VT-CQP Malabar Princess prior to departure on 1st Scheduled E'bound service.
Picture
​Passengers boarding the Constellation VT-CQP "Malabar Princess" at London on June 11th, 1948,
When the first air-India service departed London from Bombay.
Picture
On 8th October 1949 Air-India VT-CQP Malabar Princess.
​Pandit Nehru Arriving at London Airport from Bombay in route to U.S.A. 
Picture
VT-CPQ Malabar Princess
(
Image Courtesy: Mallery Thierry )
Picture
VT-CQP Malabar Princess

VT-CQR Rajput Princess.

Picture
On 22 March, 1948 VT-CQR Rajput Princess 2nd Delivery Flight.
Picture
On 22 March, 1948 VT-CQR Rajput Princess 2nd Delivery Flight.
Picture
On 22 March 1948 VT-CQR Rajput Princess 
​(ex-John Stroud Collection)
Picture
VT-CQR Rajput Princess
London, 9th May 1948 Arrival of the second proving flight from Bombay.
On staircase, from bottom to top; Mrs Masani, Mr. Tata, Mr. Masani, Mr. Figgins & Mr. Kooka.
Picture
London, 11 May, 1948 VT-CQR Rajput Princess
Picture
On 11 May, 1948 Press Flight London VT-CQR Rajput Princess
Picture
On 11 May, 1948 Press Flight London VT-CQR Rajput Princess
Picture
On 11 May, 1948 Press Flight London VT-CQR Rajput Princess
Picture
Air-India L-749 VT-CQR Rani of Jhansi or Rajput Princess
Picture
VT-CQR Rajput Princess
Picture
VT-CQR Rajput Princess
Picture
VT-CQR Rajput Princess
Picture
VT-CQR Rajput Princess at London Aerodrome
Picture
VT-CQR Rajput Princess Flight Deck
Picture
VT-CQR Rajput Princess Cabin
Picture
VT-CQR Rajput Princess sleeping arrangements.

VT-CQS Mughal Princess 
Picture
VT-CQS Mughal Princess on test at near Burbank, California early 1948 Lockheed photograph.
Picture
VT-CQS Mughal Princess on test at near Burbank, California early 1948 Lockheed photograph.
Picture
VT-CQS Mughal Princess on test at near Burbank, California early 1948 Lockheed photograph.
Picture
On 15 March 1948 First Delivery Flight of VT-CQS Mughal Princess
Picture
On 15 March 1948 First Delivery Flight of VT-CQS Mughal Princess
Picture
On 15 March 1948 First Delivery Flight of VT-CQS Mughal Princess
Picture
On 15 March 1948 First Delivery Flight of VT-CQS Mughal Princess
Picture
On 15 March 1948 First Delivery Flight of VT-CQS Mughal Princess
Picture
On 15 March 1948 First Delivery Flight of VT-CQS Mughal Princess
Picture
On 15 March, 1948 VT-CQS Mughal Princess on London Airport Departure for Cairo + Bombay on 1st Delivery flight.
Picture
Capt. K.R. Gazdar, Captain of VT-CQS on delivering flight at London Airport 15th March, 1948.
​​(ex-John Stroud Collection)
Picture
Air-India Articles in Aeronautics June, 1948.
Picture
On 15 March, 1948 VT-CQS Mughal Princess
Picture
Bombay 16th March, 1948 Arrival of the 1st Air-India International Constellation VT-CQS Mughal Princess at Santacruz Airport.
Left to right: Mr. J.D.Choksi - Director Air-India, Mr. JRD Tata - Chairman, Air-India & Air-India International, Mr B.W. Figgins - General Manager Air-India & Air-India International, Mr S.K. Kooka Traffic Manager Air-India & Air-India International, Mr A.C. Gazdar Operation Manager Air-India & Air-India International.
​(ex-John Stroud Collection)
Picture
Air-India Articles in Aeronautics June, 1948.
Picture
VT-CQS Mughal (Mogul) Princess 
14 May 1950 An "Air-India International"  airways constellation at Heathrow.
Picture
VT-CQS Mogul Princess

VT-DAR Maratha Princess

Picture
On 26 October, 1949 Arrival of 4th Constellation at London from U.S.A., L-749A VT-DAR Maratha Princess
Picture
On 26 October, 1949 Arrival of 4th Constellation at London from U.S.A., L-749A VT-DAR Maratha Princess
Picture
VT-DAR Maratha Princess
Picture
VT-DAR Maratha Princess flying over Lake Geneva
Picture
​Lockheed L-749A Constellation of Air-India International (New Air-India) VT-DAR Maratha Princess
(ex-John Stroud Collection)
Picture
VT-DAR Maratha Princess
Picture
VT-DAR Maratha Princess.
Picture
Prime Minister Nehru of India deplaning from VT-DAR Maratha Princess at London with his sister Krishna Hutheesingh and daughter Indira Gandhi (future Prime Minister of India) at London.
A Jitendra Arya photograph
Picture
VT-DAR Maratha Princess Lockheed Constellation
Picture
VT-DAR Maratha Princess Lockheed Constellation
Picture
VT-DAR Maratha Princess Lockheed Constellation

VT-DAS Himalayan Princess
Picture
VT-DAS Himalayan Princess

VT-DEO Bengal Princess
Picture
VT-DEO Bengal Princess L-749A Burbank, California Early 1951.
Picture
VT-DEO Bengal Princess L-749A Burbank, California Early 1951.
Picture
VT-DEO Bengal Princess

VT-DEP Kashmir Princess
Picture
On 25 May, 1951 VT-DEP Kashmir Princess
Picture
Air-India L-749 VT-DEP Kashmir Princess
Picture
Air-India L-749 VT-DEP Kashmir Princess​

Picture
Air-India International Lockheed Constellation 749 A.

Picture
Capt. A.C. Gazdar and K.R. Gazdar
First proving flight from Bombay Air-India
(ex-John Stroud Collection)

Picture
Air-India Lockheed Constellation L-749
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