In a truly astonishing aviation blunder, Air India has recently ‘rediscovered’ a Boeing 737-200 that had been missing from its records for an astonishing 13 years. The 43-year-old aircraft was found sitting dormant at Kolkata Airport, having completely slipped the airline’s administrative radar until airport authorities sent a substantial bill for parking fees, totaling nearly 1 crore rupees.
The aircraft, registered as VT-EHH, had a long operational history. It first flew for Indian Airlines in 1982, was leased to Alliance Air in 1998, and later used for cargo operations by India Post after returning to the airline in 2007. By 2012, it was officially retired. However, instead of undergoing a proper decommissioning process, the jet was left idle in a secluded area of the airport and was subsequently omitted from Air India’s fixed-asset registers.
Air India’s CEO, Campbell Wilson, confirmed the airline’s lapse in an internal communication, stating that they were unaware of the aircraft’s existence until alerted by Kolkata airport officials. This oversight meant the jet was not included in any depreciation schedules, insurance policies, maintenance plans, or financing documents. Consequently, it was entirely absent from the asset valuation during the Tata Group’s acquisition of Air India.
Remarkably, during its 13-year ‘hibernation,’ the aircraft remained equipped with its original Pratt & Whitney engines, unlike other retired Air India planes that had their engines stripped before sale. The airport eventually collected approximately 1 crore rupees in parking charges for the forgotten behemoth. This significant discovery is part of a larger effort, with this being the 14th abandoned aircraft removed from Kolkata Airport in the last five years. The plane has since been transported to Bengaluru to be repurposed as a valuable training tool for maintenance engineers, highlighting the critical need for robust asset management in complex organizations.