Air India has launched a major internal audit that led to the detection of a Boeing 737-200 that had gone unnoticed for years at Kolkata Airport. The airline confirmed that the 43-year-old aircraft, registered VT-EHH, had been removed from official records in the years before privatisation and effectively erased from corporate memory.
The ‘Lost Aircraft’ Discovered at the Airport’s Request
The situation became clear when Kolkata Airport management contacted Air India to request the removal of an abandoned aircraft located within the airport premises. The Boeing 737-200, grounded in 2012, had been forgotten in a remote corner of the airport instead of being sold or scrapped. Over the years, it was removed from depreciation schedules, insurance documents and various other record sets.
The internal review officially confirmed that the aircraft had long been absent from maintenance, finance, insurance and fixed-asset records.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson informed employees that the aircraft record had been deleted multiple times before privatisation, and therefore had not been included in the valuation during Tata Group’s acquisition.
Delivered in 1982, Forgotten in 2012
VT-EHH joined the Indian Airlines fleet in 1982, was later operated by Alliance Air and in 2007 was converted into a freighter serving India Post. After its retirement in 2012, it was parked at the airport without any further action taken.
Archives also show that another classic 737, VT-EGG, was kept in Kolkata during the same period and later converted into a restaurant in Rajasthan. VT-EHH, however, was left in place.
Legacy Issues Revealed During Modernisation
The discovery once again highlighted serious documentation gaps in Air India’s pre-privatisation operations. The absence of fixed-asset records relied on by insurers, maintenance teams and finance departments caused the aircraft to fall out of the system for years.
Following the takeover, Tata Group has launched a transformation programme that includes IT infrastructure upgrades, supplier and lease contract updates, personnel management improvements and modernisation of asset records.
Although the sale and transfer of VT-EHH have been completed, neither the buyer nor the sale price has been disclosed.
Lost Aircraft Highlights Risks of Outdated Systems
The incident underscored the critical importance of detailed record-keeping in managing complex airline fleets. Air India aims to build an asset-management model aligned with modern governance standards to close past gaps.
