After independence, under the Air Rules Act, the government had bought the ownership of the Tata Sons airline.
According to a media report, the Tata group has bought the state-run airline Air India. Interestingly, the Tata group has regained its own airline after 68 years.
Air India was established in 1932 as Tata Air Services. Later its name was changed to Tata Airlines. The airline was started by Indian business stalwart JRD Tata. In April 1932, Tata won the contract to deliver mail to Imperial Airways.
He then established his own aviation division with two single-engine aircraft. On October 15, 1932, Tata flew a postal plane from Karachi to Bombay. The plane also took off for Madras. The aircraft was operated by Neville Vincent of the British Royal Air Force. Neville was also a friend of Vincent Tata. The company initially operated an airmail service. Mail was delivered by plane to Karachi, Madras, Bombay and Ahmedabad. In the first year, the airline carried 155 passengers and delivered mail weighing 9.72 tonnes. The first year profit of the company was Rs 60,000.
The airline introduced the first passenger flight between Bombay and Trivandrum with a 6-seater aircraft. In 1938 the company’s name was changed to Tata Airlines. Its route included Colombo and Delhi. During World War II, Tata Airlines also assisted the Royal Air Force in deploying troops, delivering supplies and rescuing refugees.
After independence, the government passed the Air Corporation Act in 1953. The government bought the ownership of the Tata Sons airline. However, JRD Tata was retained as the chairman till 1977. The company’s name was changed to Air India International by the government. On 21 February 1960, Air India inducted Boeing 707-420 into its fleet. The airline began flights to New York the same year. The airline was officially renamed Air India in 1962.
Media reports indicating approval of financial bids by Government of India in the AI disinvestment case are incorrect. Media will be informed of the Government decision as and when it is taken. pic.twitter.com/PVMgJdDixS
— Secretary, DIPAM (@SecyDIPAM) October 1, 2021
However, amidst these media reports, the government clarified that no decision has been taken yet, Tata Group and SpiceJet had bid for Air India. The Secretary, Department of Investment and Public Property Management, tweeted about this and said that the news going on in the media is wrong. When the decision will be taken by the government, it will be informed.