An airline recently located a passenger aircraft that had been missing for over a decade, but now faces a substantial parking fine as a consequence of the situation.
Air India had encountered difficulties in locating one of its Boeing 737 planes back in 2012, resulting in the 30-tonne aircraft disappearing from its records and being deemed lost by the management due to the unsuccessful search efforts.
Unexpectedly, the airline received a notification from Kolkata Airport at the beginning of December, instructing them to retrieve the aircraft and settle a significant fee for its prolonged stay in a secluded area of the tarmac. Initially, Air India denied ownership of the plane, according to reports.
The confusion arose from what was described as administrative errors, leading to financial implications. Air India was informed that they must pay 10 million rupees, equivalent to around £82,000, for the 13-year period during which the aircraft remained unclaimed.
The aircraft had previously been registered under Indian Airlines, which later merged with Air India. Subsequently, it was leased to the Indian postal service before being converted into a cargo plane.
Reports indicate that Air India’s CEO, Campbell Wilson, made the decision to decommission the aircraft, but this decision was not properly documented, resulting in a prolonged search for the missing plane by the staff. The Mirror has reached out to Air India for a statement on the matter.
In a separate incident, Air India halted operations on three Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners for thorough investigations following a fatal crash earlier this year that claimed the lives of 241 individuals. The tragic event on June 12 in Ahmedabad resulted in the death of all but one of the 242 occupants onboard.
The decision to suspend the three Dreamliners was made after four significant in-flight incidents. Flight 171 to London Gatwick collided with a building shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad, resulting in the deaths of 19 individuals on the ground.
Among the passengers were 53 UK citizens, with Viswashkumar Ramesh being the sole survivor of the crash. Mr. Ramesh expressed the emotional toll the incident took on him, mentioning ongoing physical discomfort from injuries sustained, including knee, shoulder, and back pain, as well as burns to his left arm. He has been offered an interim payment of £21,500 to support his personal injury claim.
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