Tatas to fly Air India again? Here are some interesting facts

Tata Sons has emerged as the top bidder for the takeover of debt-laden state-run airline Air India but the bid is yet to be approved by a group of ministers headed by Home Minister Amit Shah, according to sources. However, the finance ministry and Tata Sons declined to comment on the matter. As we await a confirmation of the deal, here's a look at some interesting facts about the "Maharaja of the Skies".

The Tata Group, which has reportedly emerged as the top bidder for the takeover of debt-laden state-run airline Air India, ventured into aviation in 1932 with the erstwhile Tata Airlines. Credit: tata.com

Tata Airlines was founded by the legendary Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy (JRD) Tata, who was also India's first licensed pilot and is known as the father of Indian civil aviation. Credit: tata.com

In 1946, the aviation division of Tata Sons was listed as Air India and in 1948, Air India International was launched with flights to Europe. The international service was among the first public-private partnerships in India, with the government holding 49 per cent, the Tatas keeping 25 per cent and the public owning the rest. Credit: tata.com

In 1953, Air India, known as the 'Maharaja of the Skies' for its turbaned mascot, was nationalised, after which it went to the government. However, the the Tatas reportedly remained at the driving seat till the 1980s, as things began to sour with people being inducted from outside the airline. Credit: PTI File Photo

Air India was the first airline in Asia to induct the Boeing 707 in 1960. The windows of the Boeing 747 in its fleet had jharokhas painted on the windows. Air India designed its own interiors for these aircraft. Credit: Getty Images

Tata already operates two airlines in India — full-service carrier Vistara, which is in partnership with Singapore Airlines, and budget airline AirAsia India along with Malaysia's AirAsia Group. Credit: PTI File Photo

In 2007, the government merged Air India and its domestic counterpart, Indian Airlines, which had both been created by the 1953 Air Corporation Act of Parliament — the entity which the Tatas are believed to have won. Credit: iStock Photo