A beauty before its maiden take-off

 From the Boeing stable,  the 737-800s are the most favoured, short and medium-range passenger aircraft the world over.

 Air India has inducted a dozen-and-a-half of this particular type of aircraft over the last 10-12 years.

The ill-fated aircraft made its maiden flight (picture right) on December 20, 2007 from Renton airport in Washington state, the US.