Air India has settled parking and handling charges amounting to around ₹1 crore for a Boeing 737-200 aircraft that remained parked at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport for nearly 13 years.
The aircraft, which originally belonged to Indian Airlines before its merger with Air India, was decommissioned around 2012. Due to record-keeping lapses over the years, the plane remained idle at a remote section of the airport and was reportedly not tracked in the airline’s active inventory.
The issue surfaced when airport authorities asked Air India to clear accumulated parking and ground handling dues before removing the aircraft. Contrary to viral social media claims suggesting bills of ₹71 crore or more, reliable aviation reports confirm that the actual amount paid was close to ₹1 crore.
After clearing the dues, Air India arranged for the aircraft to be moved out of Kolkata. The plane is expected to be used for training or educational purposes, rather than being scrapped.
The incident has sparked discussions online about asset management and legacy record-keeping challenges within large public sector organizations, especially those that have undergone mergers and restructuring.