Air India's last Boeing 747 'Agra' embarks on final journey
Air India's final Boeing 747, affectionately known as "Agra" and previously registered as VT-EVA, took off for its last flight from Mumbai on Monday. The iconic jumbo jet has been sold to an overseas company, marking a significant milestone in aviation history. In a grand farewell gesture, the pilots performed a traditional "Wing Wave," a maneuver typically executed during retirement flights.
Aircraft officially retired from Indian Aviation Register
Following its retirement, the aircraft was officially removed from the Indian aviation register by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) last year. Consequently, its Air India markings and titles were replaced with a temporary American registration, N940AS. This change enabled its departure from its original base in Mumbai. As aviation historian Debasish Chakraverty noted, "a temporary American registration, N940AS was applied to it last week, to permit it to fly out of its former home base."
Emotional farewell for Air India's last Boeing 747
The farewell flight took off at 10:47am over Santa Cruz, stirring up a mix of emotions among aviation enthusiasts. Chakraverty expressed his personal connection with the aircraft, stating that witnessing and capturing this potentially rare sight was a mixed bag of emotions. Notably, Air India's remaining four Boeing 747-400 airplanes have found a new owner—US-based AerSale, a supplier of aftermarket commercial jet engines and parts, as per the Economic Times.
Boeing 747: A remarkable achievement in aviation history
Captain Rohit Bhasin, who had once flown 747s, shared his fond memories with the aircraft. He described the Boeing 747-400 as "the queen in the sky" and a "remarkable achievement in aviation history combining longevity, versatility and enduring popularity." Bhasin added that he had the pleasure of flying it for 10 years as a training captain for Air India's VVIP flights. The last time Air India's 747 took to the skies was in March 2021 between Delhi and Mumbai.
