Manage Your Trip
Special Offers
Travel Information
Flying Returns
Contact Us
Book online
Web Check-In
My Booking
Time Table
Flight Status
Redeem miles
Air India Holidays
Schemes
Corporate Houses
Additional Baggage Allowance
Mobile
Destinations
Before you fly
On Ground
On Board
Travel Classes
Code-Share Partners
About Flying Returns
Join Now
Earn Miles
Redeem Miles
Promotions
Premium Clubs
Alliance Partners
Customer Support
Contact Details
History
Timeline
2001 - 2011
1991 - 2000
1981 - 1990
1971 - 1980
1961 - 1970
1951 - 1960
1941 - 1950
1932 - 1940
Founder J.R.D Tata
Plane Portraits
Fleet
Fleet Details
B787 Dreamliner
B777-200LR
B747-400
B777-300ER (77W)
Airbus 330-200
Airbus 320
Airbus 319 (Mixed/Economy)
Airbus 321
CRJ-700
ATR 42-320
Management
Board of Directors
Management
Chief Executives
The Air India Brand
Logo/Livery
The Maharajah
Financials
Annual Reports
2000-2001
2001-2002
2003-2004
2004-2005
2004-2005 Subsidiary Companies
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
2009-2010
2010-2011
Backgrounder Note
Magic Carpet
Home
>
About Us
>
History
>
Timeline
> 1932 - 1940
1932
Month
Date
Event
July
-
The Aviation Department of Tata Sons Ltd. established.
October
15
Tata Sons Ltd. operated the first Karachi / Ahmedabad / Bombay / Bellary / Madras mail service to connect with Imperial Airways' London / Karachi services. The first service carried mail which had left London on October 8. The first was operated by a De Havilland Puss Moth VT-ADN flown by Mr. J R D Tata from Karachi to Bombay and by Mr. Nevill Vintcent from Bombay to Madras. The first service arrived at Madras on October 16 and the first west-bound flight left Madras on October 17.
1933
Month
Date
Event
-
-
In the first full year of operations, Tata Airlines flew 1, 60,000 miles, carried 155 passengers and 10.71 tonnes of mail.
1934
Month
Date
Event
-
-
The de Havilland Fox Moth DH-83, a four-seater biplane, acquired.
1935
Month
Date
Event
January
4
The Karachi / Bombay / Madras service was
re-routed via Hyderabad instead of Bellary. Frequency increased to twice-weekly.
February
25
Tata Sons made a trial flight Bombay / Nagpur / Jamshedpur / Kolkata with Fox Moth VT-ADZ
(pilot Mr. Nevill Vintcent).
November
26
Experimental weekly mail service started on route Bombay / Goa / Cannanore / Thiruvananthapuram with Miles Merlins. This connected with the Karachi / Bombay / Madras service.
1936
Month
Date
Event
December
-
During the year Tata Sons Ltd. introduced
Waco YQC-6 biplanes.
1937
Month
Date
Event
April
16
Bhuj introduced as a stop on Bombay / Karachi service.
November
6
Tata Sons began Bombay / Indore / Bhopal /
Gwalior / Delhi service with Waco YQC-6 biplanes. The first flight by VT-AIX
(pilots Mr. J.R.D. Tata and Mr. Nevill Vintcent).
December
1
W / T facilities were brought into operation on the Karachi / Bombay / Colombo route. During the year, Tata Sons introduced D.H.89 Dragon Rapides equipped with radio.
1938
Month
Date
Event
January
22
Tata Airlines (successor to aviation division of Tata Sons) extended its Karachi / Bombay /Madras mail service to Colombo. Waco YQC-6 biplanes were used. Passengers and mail from Colombo were carried from January 29.
February
28
Government contract with Tata Air Lines came into effect for the carriage of first class un-surcharged mail between Karachi / Colombo under the Empire Air Mail Scheme. The route was Karachi / Bhuj / Ahmedebad / Bombay / Hyderabad / Madras / Tiruchirapalli / Colombo.
March
2
Tata Air Lines extended its Bombay / Thiruvananthapuram service to Tiruchirapalli.
1939
Month
Date
Event
-
-
Rapides and D.H. 86s requisitioned by the Government. Second-hand trimonitor Stinsons purchased. First Booking Office opened at Churchgate.
1940
Month
Date
Event
-
-
The Percival Q-6 aircraft joined the fleet.
A twin-engine aircraft, manufactured by Percival Aircraft Ltd, it had a maximum speed of 190 mph.