Air India Plane: A Boeing 737-200 belonging to Air India, which had been lying “unclaimed” at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport for the past 13 years, has finally begun its last journey. Interestingly, instead of taking to the skies, the aircraft will travel 1,900 kilometers by road to reach Bengaluru.

The Aircraft Had Disappeared From Official Documents

Surprisingly, this 43-year-old aircraft had been parked at the airport for years, yet no one seemed to know about it. While Air India had already disposed of nine other unused aircraft—without engines—this Boeing 737-200 was kept inside a hangar and forgotten. It had even vanished from the company’s official records. After 13 years, Air India realised that the aircraft was still parked at the airport.

A 1,900-KM Road Journey

According to reports, since Air India no longer needed the old aircraft, it was transported from Kolkata to Bengaluru on November 14. The plane has been dismantled and is being moved by road, covering a distance of nearly 1,900 kilometers. Once it reaches Bengaluru, the 43-year-old aircraft will be repurposed for training use.

This incident highlights long-standing lapses in Air India’s management and asset-tracking practices.