Air India Billed $120,000 After Rediscovering Lost Boeing 737

Air India faces unexpected consequences after rediscovering a Boeing 737-200 that had languished in a remote corner of Kolkata Airport for more than thirteen years, accumulating parking fees totaling nearly one million rupees—approximately $120,000 USD.

The aircraft, registered as VT-EHH, was initially parked at Kolkata Airport in 2012 following its retirement from active service. However, due to a combination of staff turnover and administrative record-keeping gaps, the jet gradually disappeared from Air India’s institutional documentation over the subsequent years.

When airport officials eventually contacted Air India requesting removal of the aircraft, the airline initially denied ownership. According to reporting by The Times of India, Air India’s internal audit ultimately confirmed that VT-EHH was indeed company property, despite being absent from fixed-asset registers and other critical internal records.

The administrative confusion appears rooted in historical complexities surrounding Air India’s merger with Indian Airlines, combined with the aircraft’s previous operational history. The 737-200 had served multiple operators throughout its career, including Indian Airlines, Alliance Air on lease beginning in 1998, and India Post for cargo operations starting in 2007.

Despite the bureaucratic lapses, Kolkata Airport maintained standard parking fee levies throughout the entire thirteen-year period. Air India subsequently arranged for the aircraft’s removal and settled the accumulated parking bill.

The 43-year-old aircraft, originally delivered in 1982, has now been relocated by road transport to Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. There, it will serve a valuable secondary purpose as a non-flying training platform for aviation maintenance technicians, allowing the aircraft to contribute to workforce development rather than remaining idle.

Notably, VT-EHH retained its original Pratt & Whitney JT8D engines at the time of disposal—an unusual characteristic among recently decommissioned Air India aircraft. The removal marks the fourteenth abandoned aircraft cleared from Kolkata Airport within the past five years, underscoring ongoing challenges with aircraft decommissioning and facility management across Indian aviation infrastructure.

Source ID: SRCE-2025-1764781246359-1122