Indian Airlines

Indian Airlines
	File:Indian Airlines logo.svg Logo used before merger with Air India
Company type	Government-owned corporation
Industry	Aviation
Founded	August 1, 1953; 73 years ago in Delhi, India
Defunct	February 26, 2011
Fate	Merged with Air India Limited to form National Aviation Company of India Limited (Air India Limited)
Headquarters	Delhi, India
Area served	Domestic India, nearby Asian countries, Middle East, Southeast Asia
Products	Passenger air transport, cargo transport
Owner	Government of India (51% through holding entity)
Number of employees	19,300 (2007)

Indian Airlines was a government-owned airline in India that eventually became part of Air India Limited before discontinuing its services. Based in Delhi, it mainly operated domestic flights, supplemented by international services to nearby Asian nations and limited routes to the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The airline originated from the consolidation of eight domestic carriers that existed prior to Independence.

On 10 December 2005, Indian Airlines adopted the brand name Indian for promotional purposes as part of a rebranding initiative aimed at enhancing its image ahead of an initial public offering (IPO). It maintained close operational ties with Air India, the country's primary international airline. Its wholly owned subsidiary was Alliance Air.

In 2007, the Government of India declared the merger of Indian Airlines into Air India Limited, making it a fully owned subsidiary. This led to the formation of a new entity, the National Aviation Company of India Limited (currently Air India Limited), which combined Air India (including Air India Express) and Indian Airlines (including Alliance Air). The merger was finalized on 26 February 2011, creating a unified airline headquartered in Mumbai with a fleet exceeding 130 aircraft.

Consolidation of regional carriers

Indian Airlines was established under the Air Corporations Act, 1953 with an initial capital investment of ₹32 million and commenced operations on 1 August 1953 following the nationalization of India's aviation sector. The government set up two national airlines: Air India for international travel and Indian Airlines Corporation (IAC) to handle domestic and regional flights.

The formation of Indian Airlines Corporation involved merging eight pre-Independence domestic airlines—Deccan Airways, Airways India, Bharat Airways, Himalayan Aviation, Kalinga Airlines, Indian National Airways, Air Services of India, and the domestic division of Air India. This new corporation inherited a fleet comprising 99 aircraft, including 74 Douglas DC-3 Dakotas, 12 Vickers Vikings, and 3 Douglas DC-4s.

Initial fleet developments

The airline introduced Vickers Viscount aircraft in 1957 and began operating Fokker F27 Friendships from 1961. During the 1960s, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited-produced Hawker Siddeley HS 748s were added. The transition to jet aircraft started with Sud Aviation Caravelle jets in 1964, followed by Boeing 737-200s in the early 1970s. In April 1976, Indian Airlines incorporated three Airbus A300 wide-body planes into its fleet. The regional feeder carrier Vayudoot was launched in 1981 but was later merged back into Indian Airlines. By 1988, Airbus A320-200s had been introduced. The economic liberalization policies of the early 1990s ended Indian Airlines' monopoly over domestic air travel.

Era after liberalization

With government deregulation in the early 1990s, Indian Airlines encountered heightened competition from private airlines such as Jet Airways, Air Sahara (later JetKonnect), East-West Airlines, Skyline NEPC (also known as Damania Airways), and ModiLuft. Up until 2005, Indian Airlines held the position as India's second-largest airline after Jet Airways; meanwhile, Air Sahara commanded a notable market share of approximately 17%. Several rivals like East-West Airlines and ModiLuft ceased operations during this timeframe.

In 1993, the government integrated the regional feeder airline Vayudoot into Indian Airlines. Although it continued functioning as an independent division until 1997, its workforce and operations were fully absorbed into Indian Airlines and Air India subsequently.

Era of Low-Cost Carriers

Beginning in 2003, the emergence of budget domestic airlines such as Air Deccan, SpiceJet, IndiGo, GoAir, and Kingfisher Airlines with its budget division Kingfisher Red compelled Indian Airlines to lower its ticket prices. Nonetheless, Indian Airlines continued to generate profits; during the 2004–2005 fiscal year, it achieved a record financial gain of . The airline was partially owned by the government (51%) through a holding entity and had a workforce of 19,300 employees as of March 2007. Together with its subsidiary Alliance Air, the combined annual revenue surpassed (approximately ), transporting more than 7.5 million travelers each year.

Merger with Air India

In 2007, the Government of India declared the consolidation of Air India and Indian Airlines. Despite the gradual discontinuation of the "Indian" brand in public-facing contexts, the "IC" and "IAC" IATA and ICAO codes along with the callsign "INDAIR" were retained for Airbus A320 family operations until 26 February 2011, when Indian Airlines was fully integrated into Air India. The final aircraft featuring Indian Airlines paint, an Airbus A319 (VT-SCF), was repainted in Air India livery in 2018.

Codeshare Partnerships

Indian Airlines maintained codeshare collaborations with:

Fleet

As of 2007, Indian Airlines operated exclusively Airbus A320 family aircraft.

Indian Airlines fleetTemplate:Fix/category^{[citation needed]}
Aircraft	In Service	Seating Capacity			Remarks
Aircraft	In Service	J	Y	Total	Remarks
Airbus A319-100	6	14	106	120	Operated under NACIL
		8	114	122
		—	144	144
Airbus A320-200	49	20	126	146
Airbus A321-200	2	20	152	172	Painted in Air India livery
Total	57

Previous Fleet

Former Indian Airlines aircraft
Aircraft Model	Quantity Operated	Year Introduced	Year Retired	Additional Information
Airbus A300B2-100	10	1976	2003
Airbus A300B4-200	4	1982	2008
Beechcraft 17	1	1953	1968
Beechcraft 18	1	1953	1957
Boeing 737-200	31	1970	1999
Boeing 737-200F	5	1980	2008
de Havilland Heron	8	1955	1968
Dornier 228	4	1997	2007
Douglas C-47 Skytrain	53	1953	1978
Douglas C-54 Skymaster	6	1953	1974
Fokker F-27 Friendship	17	1961	1994
Hawker Siddeley HS 748	19	1967	1991
Lockheed L-749 Constellation	4	1962	1981	Transferred from Air India
Sud Aviation Caravelle	12	1963	1976
Tupolev Tu-154B	1	1989	1990	Leased from Aeroflot
Tupolev Tu-154B	1	1992	1993	Leased from Uzbekistan Airways, subsequently written off
Vickers VC.1 Viking	12	1953	1959
Vickers Viscount 700	16	1957	1974

Livery

The Indian Airlines color scheme, one of the longest-standing in aviation, was crafted by the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. The aircraft featured predominantly white fuselages with light metallic grey undersides. The name "Indian Airlines" was displayed in English on the starboard side and in Hindi on the port side. The tail fin was painted bright orange showcasing a white IA emblem, which was also applied to engines over exposed metal surfaces. To celebrate its golden jubilee, a gold-colored "50 years of flying" inscription was added to numerous aircraft.

Following rebranding as Indian, the livery incorporated motifs inspired by Odisha's Sun Temple: an orange tail highlighted by a partial blue wheel, with "Indian" inscribed in English and Hindi on opposite sides of the fuselage. On 15 May 2007, the Government of India revealed a new merger livery that was adopted for both newly delivered and repainted aircraft across Air India and Indian Airlines fleets.

Service

Most Indian-operated short-haul aircraft from the Airbus A320 family were configured with two travel classes on the majority of routes: Economy and Executive. The Economy Class featured a conventional 3-3 seating layout and included complimentary meal service. In contrast, Executive Class provided 2-2 seating with greater recline and more upscale meal options.

1950s

On 12 December 1953, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain registered VT-CHF crashed during takeoff from Sonegaon Airport following engine failure; only the captain survived the accident.
On 2 February 1955, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain VT-CVB crashed shortly after departing Sonegaon Airport while executing a turn; all ten individuals onboard lost their lives.
On 15 May 1956, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain VT-DBA overran the runway at Tribhuvan International Airport after landing at excessive speed; fourteen of the thirty-three passengers onboard plus one person on the ground died.
On 24 March 1958, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain VT-CYN stalled and crashed during approach to Tribhuvan Airport due to navigational mistakes in adverse weather conditions; all twenty onboard perished.
On 29 March 1959, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain VT-CGI experienced structural failure and crashed near Silchar Airport amid poor weather; all twenty-four occupants died.

1960s

On 15 November 1961, a Vickers Viscount VT-DIH was damaged beyond repair when the co-pilot inadvertently retracted the landing gear during landing at Ratmalana Airport, Colombo.
On 3 June 1963, a Douglas DC-3 VT-AUL broke apart mid-flight after takeoff from Pathankot Airport due to a jammed rudder; all twenty-nine onboard were killed.
On 11 September 1963, a Vickers Viscount VT-DIO crashed near Agra, resulting in the deaths of all eighteen passengers and crew.
On 7 February 1966, a Fokker F27 Friendship PH-SAB collided with terrain in the Pir Panjal Range caused by navigational errors; all thirty-three onboard died.
On 18 February 1969, a Douglas DC-3 VT-CJH crashed on takeoff from Jaipur International Airport attributed to overloading and wind conditions; fortunately, all thirty onboard survived.
On 21 April 1969, a Fokker F27 Friendship encountered a thunderstorm over East Pakistani airspace while flying from Agartala to Calcutta and crashed; all forty-four onboard perished.

1970s

On 29 August 1970, a Fokker F27 crashed shortly after departing near Silchar, killing all five crew members and thirty-four passengers.
On 30 January 1971, Kashmiri terrorists Ashraf and Hashim Qureshi hijacked a Fokker F27 en route from Srinagar to Jammu, diverting it to Lahore. Passengers were released by 2 February, but the aircraft was destroyed. This event prompted India and Pakistan to prohibit each other's overflights and flights until 1976.
On 9 August 1971, a Vickers Viscount VT-DIX was irreparably damaged after overrunning the runway at Jaipur Airport, caused by landing with a tailwind on a wet surface.
On 9 December 1971, a Hawker Siddeley HS 748 crashed near Chinnamanur while descending into Madurai, resulting in the deaths of all four crew members and seventeen passengers amid low visibility conditions.
On 11 August 1972, a Fokker F27 crashed in New Delhi following an aborted landing attempt; all four crew and fourteen passengers were killed.
On 15 March 1973, a HAL 748-224 Series 2 (VT-EAU) crashed near Begumpet Airport during training exercises, killing three crew members and one person on the ground; investigations revealed pilot intoxication.
On 31 May 1973, Indian Airlines Flight 440, operated by a Boeing 737 (VT-EAM), crashed during landing at New Delhi airport, resulting in five crew fatalities and forty-three passenger deaths.
On 12 October 1976, Indian Airlines Flight 171, flown by a Sud Aviation Caravelle, experienced an engine fire shortly after takeoff from Bombay. The fire escalated due to failure to stop fuel flow; subsequent hydraulic system failure caused loss of control and crash, killing all six crew members and eighty-nine passengers.
On 17 December 1978, a Boeing 737-2A8 (VT-EAL) made a wheels-up landing at Begumpet Airport due to leading edge device malfunction during takeoff. The aircraft slid off the runway; one of the one hundred thirty-two onboard died along with three people on the ground.
On 4 August 1979, a HAL 748-224 Series 2 (VT-DXJ) crashed into terrain near Bombay Airport at night under poor weather conditions, killing all four crew members and forty-one passengers.

1980s

On 19 August 1981, Flight 557, operated by a HAL 748 (VT-DXF), overshot the runway at Mangalore Airport under wet conditions. Although the aircraft was damaged beyond repair, there were no casualties. Among the passengers was Veerappa Moily, who was serving as Karnataka's Finance Minister at the time.
On 24 August 1984, seven hijackers seized control of an Indian Airlines flight IC 421, a domestic service from Delhi to Srinagar carrying 100 passengers, demanding it be flown to the United States. The aircraft was rerouted to Lahore, then Karachi, and finally to Dubai, where UAE defense authorities successfully negotiated the release of passengers. This hijacking was connected to the separatist movement in Punjab. The hijacker was eventually extradited back to India along with the recovered firearm.
On 29 September 1986, an Airbus A300B2-1C (VT-ELV) veered off the runway at Chennai International Airport during an aborted takeoff triggered by a bird strike. None of the 196 individuals on board suffered injuries; however, the aircraft was declared a total loss.
On 19 October 1988, Flight 113, a Boeing 737 (VT-EAH), collided with an electrical mast approximately from Ahmedabad amid poor visibility conditions, resulting in the deaths of six crew members and all but two of the 129 passengers.

1990s

On 14 February 1990, Indian Airlines Flight 605, operating an Airbus A320, crashed during its final approach to HAL Airport in Bangalore, causing the deaths of 92 out of the 146 people on board.
On 16 August 1991, Indian Airlines Flight 257, a Boeing 737 (VT-EFL), crashed near Imphal while descending, killing all 69 occupants. The investigation attributed the accident to pilot error related to failure in following established operational protocols.
On 26 April 1993, Indian Airlines Flight 491, a Boeing 737 (VT-ECQ), struck a lorry shortly after taking off from Aurangabad, resulting in 55 fatalities and injuring 63 others.
On 15 November 1993, Indian Airlines Flight 440, an Airbus A300 (VT-EDV), diverted from Hyderabad to Chennai due to flap issues and subsequently exhausted its fuel supply, forcing an emergency landing in a rice field. All 262 passengers and crew survived, including well-known Telugu actors, which drew significant media coverage.
On 24 December 1999, Indian Airlines Flight 814, an Airbus A300B2-101 (VT-EDW), was hijacked shortly after departing Kathmandu. The plane landed in Kandahar amid negotiations between Indian authorities and the Taliban. One passenger was killed during this ordeal; hostages were released on 31 December following the exchange for militants such as Maulana Masood Azhar. Indian Airlines, which remained India's only domestic airline until 1993, endured sixteen hijackings between 1971 and 1999.

Financials

The table below presents Indian Airlines' financial performance trends as reported in the Ministry of Civil Aviation's annual report for 2004, with amounts stated in millions of Indian Rupees:

Year	Operating Revenues	Operating Profit (Loss)
2002	Rs. 41,015 million	Rs. 1,347 million
2003	Rs. 46,498 million	Rs. 1,251 million

References

External links

Indian Airlines (Archived)
Indian Airlines (Archived) – previous content