Indian Airmails

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      • B.O.A.C. Comet 1 Jetliner Service London to Colombo August 1952
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      • B.O.A.C. Britannia Turbo-Prop Airliner London to Tokyo July 1957
      • B.O.A.C. Britannia Turbo-Prop Airliner London to Colombo August-September 1957
      • B.O.A.C. Comet 4 Jetliner Service London to Tokyo April 1959
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      • B.O.A.C. Comet 4 Jetliner Service London to Auckland April 1963
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  • Home
  • Pre-1953 Airlines
    • 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
        • 1933 Westwards: Calcutta to Karachi
      • 1933 Calcutta - Rangoon via Akyab >
        • 1933 Eastwards: Calcutta - Rangoon via Akyab
        • 1933 Westwards: Rangoon - Calcutta via Akyab
      • 1933 Karachi - Singapore Extension
      • 1934 Karachi - Australia Extension
      • 1936 Rangoon - Hong Kong
    • Indian National Airways >
      • 1933 Calcutta - Dacca
      • 1933 Rangoon - Calcutta
      • 1934 Karachi - Lahore
      • 1940 Karachi - Calcutta via Lahore
      • 1939 Karachi - Delhi
      • 1947 Calcutta - Rangoon
    • Madras Air Taxi Service
    • Experimental & Survey Flights. >
      • 1931 England - Australia Flight >
        • 1st Experimental Flight
        • 2nd Experimental Flight
      • 1938 Flying Boat Coogee
    • Star Line
  • Tata Airlines
    • 1931 - Karachi - Madras: Route Survey Flight
    • 1932 - Karachi - Madras >
      • Official Southbound
      • Official Northbound
      • Other Southbound
      • Other Northbound
      • Other Material
    • 1933 - Karachi - Madras via Poona
    • 1935 Karachi - Madras via Hyderabad >
      • 1935 - Karachi - Madras via Hyderabad
      • 1935 Bombay-Hyderabad Errors on Stamp
    • 1935 - Bombay - Calcutta demonstration flight
    • 1935 - Bombay - Travancore via Goa & Cannanore
    • 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
  • Air-India
    • 1948 Air-India International Bombay - London Flight >
      • Postage Stamps - Constant Errors
      • The Postage Stamp
      • First Day Covers
      • DG's Circular & Postal Notices
      • Official Covers
      • Air-India Covers
      • 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
    • 1960 - 1964
    • 1965 - 1969
    • 1970 - 1974
    • 1975 - 1979
    • 1980 - Onward
    • Crash Mail Covers
    • Meter Panel & Stationery
  • Foreign Airlines
    • 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
      • B.O.A.C. Comet 1 Jetliner Service London to Tokyo April 1953
      • B.O.A.C. Britannia Turbo-Prop Airliner London to Sydney March 1957
      • B.O.A.C. Britannia Turbo-Prop Airliner London to Tokyo July 1957
      • B.O.A.C. Britannia Turbo-Prop Airliner London to Colombo August-September 1957
      • B.O.A.C. Comet 4 Jetliner Service London to Tokyo April 1959
      • B.O.A.C. Comet 4 Jetliner Service London to Singapore June 1959
      • B.O.A.C. Comet 4 Jetliner Service London to Sydney November 1959
      • B.O.A.C. Comet 4 Jetliner Service London to Manila November 1961
      • B.O.A.C. Comet 4 Jetliner Service London to Auckland April 1963
      • B.O.A.C. Boeing 707 London to Nandi November 1965
      • B.O.A.C. VC 10 40th Anniversary of Regular Airmail
  • Others
    • Zeppelin & Catapult >
      • LZ-10 Schwaben
      • LZ-13 Hansa
      • LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin
      • LZ-129 Hindenberg
      • LZ-130 Graf Zeppelin II
      • Catapult Mail
      • Ephemera
    • Rocket Mail >
      • Indian Rocket Mail
      • Sikkim Rocket Mail
    • Pigeon Mail
    • Balloon Mail
    • Airship R 101
    • Indian Air Force
  • Resources
  • Useful Links
  • Contact us

Other Early Aircraft

Air-India International was formed in 1948 as a result of a collaboration between The Government of India and Air-India Ltd., an airline promoted by the Tata group. Air-India Ltd., itself was founded in 1932 as the Airline Division of Tata Sons Ltd., and was later operating as Tata Airlines Ltd., before renaming itself as Air-India Ltd. in 1946. Let us look at some of the early airplanes they used, and some other early airplanes of Air-India International as well.
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Above: An advertisement in the Illustrated London News shows images of various planes these airlines used between 1932 and 1960.
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Above: Air-India celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 1972 (considering 1932 as the founding year). A fold-out brochure was brought out with images of all the aircraft they used over these years. This was also around the time they procured the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet, which was a big bold step forward by the airline.

Right: the cover image of this brochure which shows the founder, J.R.D. Tata in front of the De Havilland DH.80A Puss Moth which he flew from Karachi to Bombay on the inaugural flight of the airline on 15 October 1932.

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Above: Publicity photograph taken at Bombay airport on 15 October 1962 shows J.R.D. Tata, Chairman of the Tata group and of Air-India, who piloted this flight and the original 1932 flight as well, standing with S. K. 'Bobby' Kooka of Air-India. Behind him is the De Havilland DH85 Fox Moth, VT-AKH in which he recreated the flight. This aircraft was similar to the De Havilland DH80A Puss Moth, VT-ACZ in which he did the original 1932 flight. Also in the background is Air-India's Boeing 707, acquired by Air-India in 1960.
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Above: A group photograph of the 1946 route survey flight taken at Karachi Aerodrome. This is under the wings of the Air India Ltd., Dakota DC-3 (VT-ADF) aircraft.


Right: A note from M. Sundareshan, one of the passengers, written more than 45 years after the flight, recording his memories in accurate detail. Incidentally, October 12, 1992 would be just about approaching the 60th Anniversary of the airline.



Below Left & Right: A Douglas DC-3 airplane VT-CGP, c/n 12928 (ex-42-108908) at London Airport in Air-India International livery, Silver, white, red, black. Picture taken on 24 March 1956. This needs more research since there is no record of this aircraft in popular lists of Air-India International aircraft, including the airline's official web-site.

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Right
: Air-India International ordered the De Havilland Comet 3 aircraft as early as in 1953, and envisioned joining the Jet Aircraft era in just a couple of years. The advertisement on the right was the announcement of the deal by De Havilland the same year.

Alas, this was not to be. A series of accidents involving this aircraft with other airlines forced Air-India International to re-evaluate their decision and eventually cancel the order. The airline had to then wait until 1960, when using the Boeing 707, they finally had Jet Airplanes in their fleet.

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Ken Sequeira Art
Ken has had a long stint in Air-India from 1983-1997. He has worked there in various capacities, both in the air, and on the ground, having spent an equal amount of time in Jet Engine and Aircraft Maintenance and Cabin Crew. Ken is also an artist and his favourite subject is aircraft. Using decorative pattern making several small ink dots technique; he has created wonderful art for Air-India. 

Some of his Air-India art is shown here.
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