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Air India Boeing 747: Why It's Retiring and Why There Was No Farewell

The Air India Boeing 747, known as the 'Queen of the Skies,' took its final flight on Monday after nearly five decades of service. So, why is the queen retiring, and did the jumbo jet receive the farewell it truly deserved?

By Varghese George
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Air India Boeing 747

Air India Boeing 747 | Photo courtesy: @Nomadic_OMD | X

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On Monday, the Air India Boeing 747 took off for the last time, marking the end of an era. Having graced India's skies for nearly five decades, this jumbo jet, affectionately dubbed the ‘Queen of the Skies,’ has been more than just an aircraft; it has been a symbol of national pride. As a tribute to its final voyage, the pilots performed a "Wing Wave," a cherished aviation tradition to honour an aircraft as it retires.

But why was the Boeing 747 retired and did it get the farewell it deserved? 

The Queen of the Skies

India has four Boeing 747s. The Boeing 747, named 'Agra,' which made its final exit on Monday from the Mumbai airport was inducted in 1996. Air India's last operational flight of a jumbo jet was from Delhi to Mumbai in March 2021. The airlines first welcomed the Boeing 747 into its fleet on March 22, 1971. Since their last flight in 2021, these 747s have been stationed at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) deregistered all four Boeing 747s in 2022. The move came just months after the Tata Group took over Air India in January 2022.

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