JRD Tata is indeed a renowned name in industrialists, and that also not today, but since the time when there were really few worthwhile industrialists in the entire world. What had begun as Tata airlines immediately before the commencement of world war II later on continued its journey to become air india, which was later bought by the state after its independence in 1947, becoming the first national flag bearer entity from non-military industries, of the nation.
When the airline industry was about to be nationalized, indian airlines took birth, which was to carry all the domestic flights. This birth was not exactly im prompt, but a merger of 7 pre existing independent and domestic airlines with in india. The ‘inheritance’ was of a fleet of 99.
After the merger with air india, the indianairlines will also be adopting the new name of air india. Air india is certainly an airline of the modern era, doing everything with in its capacity to revolutionize the air line industry of india.
It has done a lot of work on improving its ‘in house experience’. The Sky Bazaar is also a step towards that revolution, offering duty free sales on board, a first of its kind. The merger with Star Alliance has allowed it further liberties with its interior décor on board. Apart from the shells converting to full beds in the business class and a ptv, they have provided wide screen touch LCDs to the economy class as well. The cuisine alone has made air india recipient of the Mercury Award. The food is primarily indian, including one western meal option and one halal meal as well. Apart from Flying Returns, which is air india’s frequent flyer program, it has a lounge of its own as well, called the Maharaja lounge, owing to the ethnic culture of India itself. Although the indian airlines were operating the domestic flights, air india had air india regional as well, which was called air alliance in the past.
These indianairlines have been associated with 2 major historical incidents, both altering the course of its progress in a substantial manner. The first one came in 1985, post Golden temple attacks. The indian government had launched operation blue star to evacuate the Golden Temple from militant who were at the time taking refuge in the temple.
Unfortunately the pilgrim death toll was much higher and the Sikhs never forgave the indian government. At the time, indianairlines was going through a golden period certainly and became the target of the Sikh militants. The flight 182 called Kanishka of air india routed Montreal to London to Delhi to Mumbai was blown just off the coast of Ireland while en route from Montreal to London, killing 329 aboard. This resulted in cessation of all the indian airlines flights to canada for a total of 20 years!
The second incident is more of glory, being recorded in the Guinness as well, when in 1990 a total of 111 x 103 indians were evacuated from Amman to Mumbai during the Persian Gulf War, when all the indians of Kuwait and Iraq had gathered in Amman. The indian airlines were praised worldwide for this act of bravery.
In spite of the flight 182 incident, today air india has a major hub and lounge at Montreal as well as Toronto, which proves that the even if the hard way, indian airlines has learned to go on, which Incidently was also its slogan once, to go on. The brave demeanor of the indian airlines is another reason why even the Simpsons prefer flying in air india.
