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Air India First Flight Covers
The Legacy Continues.
Air India First Flight Covers
The Legacy Continues.
On 10th March 1981 Air India inaugurated its first flight to Sharjah, UAE.
Post & Telegraphs dept. issued a cover for the same. The airmail stamp affixed is also showing an Air India Flight.
The return flight Sharjah to Bombay was also on the same day.
The return cover shows on the top left The Souk al-Markazi (Central Market), popularly known as the Blue Souk, is the main shopping hub and one of the most impressive landmarks of Sharjah. The building has been designed by the British architects Michael Lyle & Partners, based on the ideas and guidance of the Ruler of Sharjah, HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, and was completed in 1978.
The bottom left shows Maharajah riding a Camel and Gateway Of India, Bombay.
Air India First Flight Cover Bombay Amritsar Birmingham 03 January 1982
Type of Aircraft: Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet.
On 3rd January 1982 Air India inaugurated its first flight to Birmingham in U.K. from Amritsar.
The cover shows the Golden Temple of Amritsar on the left and the Building named Rotunda, Birmingham next to it.
The Golden Temple, also known as Sri Harmandir Sahib ("abode of God") or Darbar Sahib is a Gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab, India. It is the holiest Gurdwara and the most important pilgrimage site of Sikhism
The Rotunda is a cylindrical highrise building in Birmingham, England. The Grade II listed building is 81 metres (266 ft) tall and was completed in 1965 as an office block at a cost of £1 million during the post-war rebuilding of the Bull Ring, The Bull Ring is a major commercial area of central Birmingham. It has been an important feature of Birmingham since the Middle Ages, when its market was first held.
Air India First Flight Cover Bombay Montreal 02 October 1982
Type of Aircraft: Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet.
On 2nd October 1982 Air India inaugurated its first flight to Montreal Canada from Bombay.
The cover shows Maharajah rising from the center of the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Olympic Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Canada, located at Olympic Park in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of Montreal. Built in the mid-1970s as the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics, it is nicknamed "The Big O".
Example's of a private cover, with a first day cancel, but did not fly the route.
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Re-enactment of the first flight of 1932 on 15 October 1982
Type of Aircraft: De Havilland DH85
Registration Mark: VT-AKH
Pilot: JRD Tata
In October 1982, on the first flight’s 50th anniversary, JRD commemorated the occasion by flying solo from Karachi to Mumbai via Ahmedabad in a Leopard Moth plane. He carried a mailbag with messages from the president of Pakistan to the president of India, and from the mayor of Karachi to the mayor of Mumbai.
JRD had re-enacted the famous event on its 30th anniversary in 1962.
Special souvenir issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary and re-enactment of the historic first flight by JRD Tata
A JRD Tata postal commemorative presented by Voltas - a Tata promoted Company.
50 Years of the First Flight Karachi Bombay 1932- 1982 on
15 October 1982
Pakistan Post cover with Pakistan Stamps
Pakistan Post issued a cover to commemorate 50 years of Civil Aviation. Here the cover and stamps are both of Pakistan, cancelled at Karachi GPO.
50 Years of the First Flight Karachi Bombay 1932- 1982 on
15 October 1982
Indian Post cover with Pakistan Stamps
Here is a cover issued by India post & Telegraphs with Pakistan Stamps and cancelled at Karachi GPO.
50 Years of the First Flight Karachi Bombay 1932- 1982 on
15 October 1982
Indian Post cover with Indian Stamps
Here is the cover issued by Indian Post & Telegraphs with a special stamp showing JRD Tata standing next to a Puss Moth in 1932.
Also cancelled at Ahemdabad and Bombay the route JRD Tata took in 1932.
Air India First Flight Cover Bombay Sanaa on 02 April 1983
Type Of Aircraft: Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet
On 2nd April 1983 Air India inaugurated it first flight to Sanaa, Yemen from Bombay.
The Maharajah is seen here playing the Yemeni Oud.
‘The oud’ is a musical instrument used in the Middle East and North Africa. Its name was derived from the Arabic word عُوْد ‘a piece of wood’ as it is made of wood. Although it is an ancient instrument, it is still very popular in many countries. In Yemen, a piece of music without oud is not music.
Its not an error, according to a source the covers were kept in a basement in the Nariman point Air-India building, where it got water soaked, some of the colors apparently got washed off to give this effect.
Example of a private cover, with a first day cancel, but did not fly the route.
Air India First Flight Cover Bombay Toronto on 19 January 1985
Type Of Aircraft: Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet
On 19th January 1983, Air India inaugurated its first flight to Toronto from Mumbai.
The Maharajah is shown here waving both Indian and the Canadian flag standing on top of the lobby of City Hall in Toronto.
The Toronto City Hall, or New City Hall, is the seat of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. The design of City Hall features two curved towers that rise from differing heights, and a public square featuring a reflecting pool.
Good Will Air Mail Cover Adelaide Delhi on 17 January 1989 by Air India
Type Of Aircraft: Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet
Type 1 cancel
On 17th Jan 1989 Australian Air Mail Society arranged for souvenir "Goodwill Covers" designed by E.W. Roberts, to be flown to India 89 World stamp Exhibition in New Delhi. Bottom covers is Signed by the artist, postmarked Adelaide and India 89.
The covers shows Safdarjung 's tomb in New Delhi and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.
Type 2 cancel
Air India First Flight Cover Fujairah Bombay on 26 March 1990
Type 3 cancel
26th March 1990 Fujairah Bombay
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Air India route expansion till March 1993.
Air India First Non-Stop Flight Cover New York - Delhi on 14 March 1993
Type Of Aircraft: Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet
On 14th August 1993 Air India inaugurated its Historic Non-stop flight from USA to Delhi.
Seen here are 2 different cancellations. Top one is the normal Comet cancel, bottom one is a rare rubber cancel in Voilet
Air India First Flight Cover Bombay Durban Johannesburg on 02 October 1993
Type Of Aircraft: Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet
On 2nd January 1993 Air India inaugurated its first flight to Johannesburg via Durban.
JOHANNESBURG -known as the "ostrich capital of the world." The Maharajah is seen here Clambering onto an ostrich for a ride and chasing an Impala a medium sized Antelope.
Shown here is a rare date cancel on the return flight from the Johannesburg Airport whose name then was Jan Smuts Airport, now it is named Oliver Tambo.
Air India First Flight Cover Mumbai Seoul Mumbai on 04 July 1997
On 4th July 1997 Air India inaugurated its first flight to Seoul, South Korea. The return flight was not stamped but a special flight cachet was applied.
Air India First Flight Cover Mumbai Delhi Bangkok Shanghai on
11 December 2003
On 11 December 2003 Air India Inaugurated it first Flight to Shanghai via Bangkok, Delhi from Mumbai.
The Maharajah is seen here as a Chinese holding a folding fan
Aircraft used: Boeing 787 Dreamliner,
Flight number: AI348.
Departed: 07:55am IST, Landed:20:20 Shanghai time.
Total duration of flight: 15hrs 55 minutes with 2 stopovers
Air India First Flight Cover Mumbai Frankfurt Los-Angeles on
11 June 2004
On 11th June 2004, Air India inaugurated its first flight to Los Angeles the home of Hollywood from Mumbai via Frankfurt.
The Maharajah is seen here holding a movie camera shooting a movie in Hollywood.
Air India First Flight Cover Mumbai Turin on 30 January 2006
2006 Air India flight for the Olympic Team.
Only 5 flown from this Gentleman.
Air India First Flight Cover Mumbai New-York on 01 August 2007
Type Of Aircraft: Boeing 777 -200 LR
On 1st August 2007, Air India inaugurated its first flight Nonstop flight to New York using Boeing 777-200LR.
Also shown here is the return cover from New York, Jamaica post Office.
Air India First Flight Cover Mumbai Beijing on 29 July 2008
On 29th July 2008, Air India sent an Olympic team of India flight to Beijing Olympics
Air India First Flight Cover Coimbatore Delhi on 01 December 2018
Air India recently introduced a non stop flight from Coimbatore, the "Manchester of South India" to National capital New Delhi on 1st December of 2018. To commemorate this, Coimbatore postal circle issued a First flight Cover.
Marudamalai Murugal temple - Coimbatore and India Gate - Delhi, two prominent attractions of the two cities are depicted on the cover.
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