Tata Airlines
Tata Airlines was an Indian airline company . It was the forerunner of Air India .
history
In 1932 founded J. R. D. Tata , scion of the Parsee businessman Dynasty Tata , the Tata Aviation Service airmail companies. He later renamed the company Tata Airlines .
On October 15, 1932, Tata Airlines began regular mail operations between Karachi and Madras . The namesake of the company Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata took off with a De Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth for the first flight at the old Drigh Road Airport in Karachi. In Bombay (now Mumbai ) Nevill Vintcent took over the plane for the onward flight via Bellary to Madras.
In addition to the De Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth, the company also had a De Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth. In addition to Tata and Vintcent, the workforce consisted of another pilot, two would-be mechanics and an engineer who was only available temporarily. In Karachi there was a radio station and limited equipment for night landings. But on the entire route to Madras, which was 2,100 km, there was no support from the ground. Despite these difficult conditions, more than 250,000 flight kilometers were covered in 1933. The company transported 10,710 kg of mail and 155 passengers.
As early as 1934, Tata Airlines was flying to Madras twice a week. Soon afterwards, she set up postal lines in the entire colonial area of British India , including to Karachi and, from 1938, to Ceylon . During World War II , Tata Airlines was commissioned to explore a flight route to southern Arabia . The company transported supplies to Iraq , flew refugees from Burma and took over maintenance and overhaul jobs from the Royal Air Force .
In 1946, Tata Airlines was renamed Air India .
In 1953, Air India was nationalized by the Jawaharlal Nehru government, a measure the founder fought against with all his heart.
fleet
- De Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth
- De Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth
- De Havilland DH.86 Express
- De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide
- Stinson Model A
