Airliners-India.com

dan · Member Joined: 18 Dec 2012 Posts: 61

Dear A.netters,
This is a thought that crossed my mind recently when I was flying through Delhi's T3 and happened to brood upon the beautiful albeit nameless Air India Dreamliners. While naming a new aircraft upon delivery was a tradition with Air India, it was dropped post-merger. I have interacted with a pilot who flew for Air India in its heydays, and he went on to tell me how it was a matter of great honor to fly the 'Malabar Princess' or 'Emperor Shah Jahan'. The flight attendants would announce the name of the aircraft followed by the names of the pilots and then the flight crew. The aircraft was a human entity and it was glorious to fly in them, while it didn't cost the airline a penny.

I would like to ask for your precious opinion on the matter. Since the Dreamliners are the workhorses of Air India's International and domestic operations, wouldn't it seem prudent to name these 27 beautiful birds after something closely linked to our heritage?

They could be named after our freedom fighters, sites of natural beauty (like Kaziranga or the Sunderbans), endemic birds, major Indian cities, hill stations, mountain ranges, tallest peaks, etc. They could also be named after the aircrafts that they have replaced over the years.

Please share your thoughts on this.

Regards,
Dan

Aseem · Member Joined: 15 Dec 2006 Posts: 2841 Location: YYZ

renaming after the rivers just as it used to be with A310 should be good idea. AI has abundant of rivers and Dreamliners.

VT-ASJ
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The_Goat · Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2018 10:53 pm Post subject:

The olden days were different, dan.

Back then, JRD ensured that the entire airline, including the aircraft, were like one big family. He chose the best and the most talented people to run the airline. The sense of belonging and the pride of being associated with the company permeated through the entire rank and file, from the chairman right down to the smallest helper.

And not just in AI, it was so even in the erstwhile IC which was formed by amalgamating numerous private airlines in pre-independence India. These airlines too were run by highly motivated and talented people, all of whom ended up in IC post merger.

Nowadays most of the AI (including IC) employees are self-seeking and unimaginative fools who owe their jobs to their political connections and not to their talent. The airline still manages to limp along only because of a small number of dedicated people who still care for the company. The vast majority have no sense of belonging and zero pride in their profession, and are only interested in how they can enrich themselves at the expense of the airline.

I would say that we should be thankful if the airline is run somewhat decently, and the customers are at least satisfied, even if not impressed with the service. Forget about giving names to aircraft and treating them like family.

In any case, I doubt any one in his right mind would be impressed if they heard the FA welcoming them aboard 'Bihar' or 'Uttar Pradesh', only to find the interiors of the plane exactly like its namesake.
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I don't know which is the more pampered bunch : AI's widebodies (the aunties) or Jet's widebodies (the planes).
-Jasepl

jayagopal50 · Member Joined: 20 Dec 2009 Posts: 20

My observation.Flying and Running a airline is now considered a service industry.Even now in nationised airline around the world The Pilots and AirCrew think they are special.They are not.In 1975 in USA i noticed that hey were not treated special as in India [ i had migrated there].I noticed also that their salaries were NOT THAT HIGH compared to others like in India.I got Pilots license ,but continued my medical profession giving up the option of being a commercial pilot,and I am glad i did.
My family has Pilots who are so shocked when Nobody cares in USA when they Intorduce themselves as Captain.!!!

The_Goat · Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 12:41 am Post subject: Re: olden days