A huge airliner worth over $1 million was "lost" right at the airport (3 photos)

A story unfolded in India that reads more like a TV series than reality. A Boeing 737-200 passenger jet, which disappeared without a trace more than ten years ago, was unexpectedly discovered on the grounds of the airport where it had originally disappeared.





A real aviation mystery has unfolded in India: 13 years after its mysterious disappearance, a Boeing 737-200, considered lost since 2012, has been found on the grounds of Kolkata Airport. It turned out that the massive aircraft had been parked in a remote part of the airfield for all this time, its existence simply forgotten.

The story began with an unexpected call from airport management, inquiring when Air India would finally pick up its old plane. At first, the carrier's representatives didn't even acknowledge the aircraft as theirs, but after an internal investigation, it was discovered that the plane was indeed theirs. The reason for this confusion was the company's privatization and sloppy record-keeping, which caused the aircraft to disappear not only from radar but also from all official records.

As it turned out, this Boeing 737-200 was manufactured in the early 1980s and, over its long career, had served with several Indian airlines, as well as transporting mail and cargo. After its decommissioning, it was simply left in the parking lot, where it remained for many years, gradually turning into a rusty monument to the aviation era.



When the truth came to light, Kolkata Airport slapped Air India with a hefty bill for storing the aircraft – almost 10 million rupees. Over 13 years of "parking," the bill had accumulated to a considerable amount, and now the airline was forced not only to admit its mistake but also to pay all the expenses.

The aircraft, which had become practically scrap metal over the years, was loaded onto a special tow truck and shipped to Bangalore. There, it will have a new life: it will now be used as a training tool for future aircraft mechanics. This turn of events came as a surprise even to experienced industry professionals.



Interestingly, this case is not isolated: over the past five years, fourteen abandoned aircraft have already been removed from Kolkata Airport. Some have found a second life as themed restaurants, while others were dismantled for scrap metal. The site where the Boeing stood forgotten for many years has now been cleared for the construction of a new hangar.

This story is a clear example of how bureaucratic errors and human error can lead to the most unexpected consequences. Air India acknowledged that this situation was possible due to high employee turnover and insufficient property control. The company now intends to review its internal processes to prevent such a recurrence.