Air India Finally Sells Its Long-Forgotten 43-Year-Old “Baby Boeing” — A Jet It Didn’t Know It Owned

image credit : Gemini AI

More than a decade after it was decommissioned, Air India has sold a Boeing 737-200 jet—one that the airline surprisingly didn’t even realize it owned. The aircraft, registered VT-EHH, had been parked for years in a remote corner of Kolkata Airport, omitted from official records, and only rediscovered when airport officials asked Air India to clear the space.

How an Aircraft Was “Lost” to Air India

Grounded Since 2012

According to internal communications from Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, VT-EHH had been retired from active service in 2012, when it was operating for India Post as a cargo aircraft.  After decades in service, the plane was parked in a little-used area of Kolkata airport and, over time, slipped out of Air India’s books.

Written Out of Records

Wilson acknowledged to staff that the aircraft had been “omitted from many documents” before and during the airline’s privatization process.  The jet was not listed in fixed-asset registers, insurance files, or maintenance logs, highlighting a serious gap in institutional memory.

The discovery came only after Kolkata airport authorities flagged the jet’s presence. In his internal note, Wilson said:

“Over time, it was lost from memory … it was omitted … After verifying that it was indeed ours … we’ve now done so … removed another old cobweb from our closet.”

The Life Story of VT-EHH

• Delivered: September 1982 to Indian Airlines.

  
  

• Leased to Alliance Air: 1998.

  
  

• Returned to Indian Airlines: 2007, reconfigured as a freighter.

  
  

• Merged into Air India: Later in 2007, when Air India absorbed Indian Airlines.

  
  

• Decommissioned: 2012, taken out of service and intended for India Post use.

According to planespotters data, the aircraft was more than 43.2 years old at the time of sale.

Sale & Disposal — Removing the “Cobweb”

Air India has now completed the sale and transfer of VT-EHH.  The buyer’s identity and financial details were not publicly disclosed.

According to Wilson, the disposal “isn’t unusual,” but the fact that they didn’t know they even owned it makes the case exceptional.

Why It Happened: Legacy Issues & Asset Management Gaps

Weak Documentation Legacy

The plane’s disappearance from internal records points to long-standing issues in asset tracking during Air India’s state-run era. After years of neglect, the aircraft was simply forgotten — no maintenance schedule, no insurance file, no depreciation record.

Institutional Memory Loss

Over decades, with management changes, organizational restructuring, and even privatization, VT-EHH remained off radar. The oversight was only corrected after airport staff flagged its presence — which prompted an internal audit.

Privatization Fallout

Air India’s takeover by Tata Group in 2022 included a major clean-up of legacy assets, vendor contracts, and documentation systems. The rediscovery of this aircraft has been framed as part of that effort to modernize and properly account for the airline’s inherited legacy.

Risks, Symbolism & Broader Implications

Financial & Operational Risk

• Liability risk: An untracked aircraft is a risk — for insurance, maintenance backlog, or even environmental exposure.

  
  

• Regulatory risk: Civil aviation authorities may question why a “forgotten” plane stayed unaccounted for so long.

  
  

• Valuation risk: During the Tata-era audit, missing assets can skew the balance sheet and valuation of the airline.

Symbolic Significance

The case of VT-EHH is emblematic of Air India grappling with legacy issues. The “Baby Boeing” represented not just an old airframe, but a reminder of how decades-old state company practices linger on — even under a modern, privatized regime.

What This Means for Air India’s Transformation

• Modernization push: The event underscores the importance of rigorous record-keeping and fixed-asset management, especially for legacy carriers undergoing transformation.

  
  

• Governance strength: It’s a win for transparency — Air India publicly acknowledged the mistake, verified ownership, and disposed of the asset.

  
  

• Fleet renewal reaffirmed: The sale aligns with Air India’s ongoing fleet modernization. The airline has placed large orders for new aircraft, including Airbus A320 NEOs and Boeing 737 MAXes.

  
  

• Memory audit: The incident may trigger broader reviews of forgotten or under-reported assets, and push the airline’s management to reconcile historical documentation gaps.

What to Watch Going Forward

1. Disclosure of buyer & sale value: Will Air India or regulatory bodies reveal who bought VT-EHH and for how much?

   
   

2. Asset audit: Whether this prompts a wider “asset rediscovery” exercise among Air India’s remaining legacy aircraft.

   
   

3. Fleet cleanup: Further disposals of other forgotten or non-operational aircraft might follow.

   
   

4. Insurance & compliance reviews: How insurers and regulators react to the fact that the aircraft was off the books.

   
   

5. Legacy operational risk: Will this encourage stricter procedures for documenting retired aircraft, especially in carriers with old fleets or long histories?