Air-India flies into platinum jubilee year

Mumbai: Pioneer aviator JRD Tata launched what is now known as Air-India in 1932 to end the British monopoly on the Indian skies, but as the flag carrier enters its platinum jubilee year today it faces a familiar challenge to its dominance of the heavens.
Official celebrations were launched here to mark the 75th anniversary of Air-India, in the backdrop of a government proposal to merge the carrier with another state-controlled airline Indian to create a monolith airliner.
The history of Indian aviation starts with Air-India. "Not many airlines in the world have got such a long history. This is a time when the airlines across the world are facing big challenges. The history of Air-India is the history of Indian civil aviation as well," Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel told PTI.
15/10/05 PTI/The Hindu

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