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Home > About Us > History > Timeline > 1951 - 1960

 

1951
Month Date Event
April 7 Paris introduced as a halt on the U.K. route.
 
1952
Month Date Event
December 7 Introduction of an All-Tourist Class service on the Nairobi route on every alternate Sunday with DC-4 aircraft leased from Air India Ltd.
 
1953
Month Date Event
February 21 Dusseldorf introduced as a halt on U.K. route.
March - Parliament passed The Air - Corporations Act
(No. 27 Of 1953 )
May 28 Air Corporations Act, 1953, ratified by the
President of India.
June 15 Two Corporations - Air India International Limited and Indian Airlines Corporation (IAC) came into formal existence.
August 1 Nationalisation of Air India International Limited. Mr. J.R.D. Tata appointed Chairman and Mr. B.K. Patel as Vice Chairman and General Manager.
October 3 Introduction of the mixed class (First Class-cum-Tourist Class) services to London and Nairobi. Frequency on Nairobi route increased to 2 flights a week.
 
1954
Month Date Event
June 6 Arrival of the first 1049-C Super Constellation, "Rani of Jhansi" ( VT-DGL )
June 19 Inaugural flight of Super Constellation to U.K.
July 4 Proving flight to Singapore with L-749A Constellation.
July 16 Inaugural flight to Singapore via Madras with L-749A Constellation VT-DAS on once-a-week basis.
July 25 Proving Flight to Tokyo with L-749A Constellation.
August 14 Inaugural flight to Hong Kong via Kolkata and Bangkok with L-749A Constellation VT-DAS on
once-a-week basis.
November 16 A DC-3 Freighter ( VT-CGP ) purchased from I.A.C.
 
1955
Month Date Event
March 20 Arrival of first 1049E Super Constellation "Rani of Chittor" ( VT-DHN )
May 7 Hong Kong service extended to Tokyo.
July 2 Introduction of an all-First Class Express service "Flying Rani" Bombay / Cairo / London.
July 4 Introduction of halts at Beirut and Zurich on the U.K. route.
July 6 Introduction of a weekly Round Robin Bombay / Kolkata / Delhi and Bombay / Delhi / Kolkata service as extensions to the U.K.- India route.
November 15 Introduction of Slumberettes on L-1049 Super Constellations in First Class on India / U.K. route.
 
1956
Month Date Event
January 6 Introduction of L-1049 Super Constellation once a week on Nairobi route.
April 1 Introduction of Slumberettes on L-749 Super Constellations in First Class on Bombay/ Tokyo and Bombay / Nairobi routes.
April 3 Damascus introduced as a halt on the U.K. route.
April 4 Prague introduced as a halt on the U.K. route.
April 6 Introduction of L-1049 Super Constellations on the Singapore route.
June 11 Arrival of first L-1049G Super Constellation "Rani of Nilgiris" (VT-DHL).
October 5 Extension of the Bombay / Singapore service to Sydney via Darwin.
November 1 Halt at Karachi omitted from London/Bombay service.
December 25 Beirut reintroduced on all the six UK flights omitting Abadan and Istanbul.
December 27 Damascus reintroduced on two flights a week.
 
1957
Month Date Event
January 10 Super Constellations introduced on Tokyo route
(flights diverted via Okinawa in the east-bound direction for technical reasons).
May 4 Karachi omitted as a stop on one Nairobi flight only, in east-bound direction.
September 1 Frequency on Nairobi route increased to thrice weekly; one via Karachi and Aden and two via Aden.
 
1958
Month Date Event
January 4 Jakarta introduced as a regular halt between Singapore and Darwin on Sydney route.
January 15 Withdrawal of L-749 Constellations from regular operations, due to their sale to Aeronaves de Mexico.
March 5 New Terminal Building at Santa Cruz opened.
August 15 Inaugural flight from Delhi to Moscow via Tashkent on once-a-week basis. Commencement of pool between Air India and Aeroflot for traffic between Delhi and Moscow.
October 11 Introduction of weekly once Bombay / Jakarta terminator service via Madras and Singapore.
November 15 Introduction of once a week DC-4 freighter service, India / U.K. / India chartered from Messrs. Seaboard & Western Airlines.
 
1959
Month Date Event
October 4 Damascus discontinued to be an online station. Frequency through Cairo increased to four times a week.
 
1960
Month Date Event
February 21 Arrival of first Boeing 707-437 (VT-DJJ "Nandadevi") in Bombay, after a record breaking non-stop flight from London to Bombay in 8 hours and 5 minutes.
March 7 Arrival of second Boeing 707-437 (VT-DJI "Gaurishankar") in Bombay.
March 25 Arrival of third Boeing 707-437 (VT - DJK "Everest") in Bombay.
April 10 Frankfurt introduced as a halt on the U.K. route.
April 19 Inauguration of Bombay / London service with Boeing 707 "Annapurna " on a twice weekly frequency.
April 29 Dusseldorf discontinued as a halt on the India / U.K. route.
May 4 First 1049G Super Constellation (VT-DJW "Rani of Bijapur") sent to Ontario for conversion into a freighter.
May 14 Inaugural flight to New York via London with Boeing 707 on once-a-week frequency.
June 29 Super Constellations withdrawn from India / U.K. route. Introduction of a weekly Prague terminator service with 1049 Super Constellations.
July 22 Second 1049G Super Constellation (VT-DJX "Rani of Madurai") sent to Ontario for conversion into a freighter.
October 4 Introduction of a weekly Bombay / Kuwait service via Karachi and Bahrain with L1049 Super Constellations.
November 14 Introduction of weekly cargo service "The Flying Sherpa" to London with L-1049 Super Constellation aircraft. Termination of contract with Seaboard & Western Airlines.
 
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