Category: Airlines Of Indian Subcontinent

Alternate Reality: Air India Tristars

25/8/2020

With just 200 standard-length Tristars built and only 50 shorter series 500 the number of first line operators of the type was relatively small. However, the L-1011 did find itself operating in the colours of some rather unusual major airlines for short periods. These included Iberia and Aer Lingus, for the standard-length variant, and oddly Air India for the Tristar 500. This wasn’t the Indian flag carrier’s first look at the Tristar though as they nearly operated it when new in the 1980s.

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Karnali & Gandaki: The Nepalese 757s

27/9/2019

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Few nations are as dependent on air travel as Nepal. Not only has it no access to the sea but is also extremely mountainous with a poorly developed road network. For many years Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation was the primary mover, both inside the country and internationally, for getting to Nepal and from 1987 its primary equipment included a pair of 757s, one of which was truly unique.

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Air India’s Revolution: Jetley’s Sun 1987-90

30/1/2019

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As with many developing nation's national carriers, that have had long glorious histories, Air India is today a model of mismanagement, inefficiency and financial disaster. There have been many attempts to change the airline and probably the most effective of these was during the tenure of Rajan Jetley from 1987-1990. Unfortunately, his successful reforms did not long survive his departure and the airline lurched back into its old patterns all too quickly.

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Karachi Connies: PIA's L-1049s

19/4/2017

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Nowadays Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is not thought of as a leader in civil aviation. Like its Indian neighbour Air India it has fallen from grace since the 1980s and struggled with embarrasing operational issues, regular crashes, corruption, one of the highest employee to aircraft ratios in the world and heavy financial losses. It wasn't always this way however and during the 1950s-80s PIA was one of the world's best run international airlines and a source of great pride to the people of Pakistan.

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HAL-748s: Indian Budgies

17/8/2016

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The HS-748 would prove to be one of the most successful postwar British aircraft produced, selling around the world to both national airlines and smaller operators alike who needed a rugged dependable aircraft. These characteristics would be taken to their limits within India which saw in the 748 just the aircraft it needed for both military and civil operations.

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Air Lanka: A Taste of Paradise?

30/9/2015

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Air Lanka tookover from its predecessor Air Ceylon as Sri Lanka itself entered a period of turmoil, which would last for over twenty years. Throughout that entire period the white Peacock of Air Lanka would continue to connect the nation to the world, focusing on service if not always punctuality (the airline's designator UL was cheekily expanded to 'Usually Late' by detractors). The workhorse of the fleet was Lockheed's trusty Tristar and I well remember seeing them at Gatwick as a child providing a splash of colour and "a taste of paradise".

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The Career of A300B4 CN 268: From Singapore to Pakistan

17/1/2015

2 Comments

Aeroclassics recently released SIA and PIA Airbus A300B4s and as with my Western/Air Pacific DC-10s it turns out they are the same airframe. Singapore Airlines was renowned during the 1980s for operating aircraft for only very short periods prior to selling them on.

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Air Ceylon: Sri-Lankan Shapeshifter

9/1/2015

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Air Ceylon came into being even before independence in 1948 when the airline was setup the year before with a trio of war surplus DC-3s. The aircraft were used for route proving trials, pilot training and flood relief operations prior to the December 10th start of scheduled operations.

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Alternate Reality: Air India Tristars

Karnali & Gandaki: The Nepalese 757s

Air India’s Revolution: Jetley’s Sun 1987-90

Karachi Connies: PIA's L-1049s

HAL-748s: Indian Budgies

Air Lanka: A Taste of Paradise?

The Career of A300B4 CN 268: From Singapore to Pakistan

Air Ceylon: Sri-Lankan Shapeshifter

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