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Air India First Flight Covers
The Legacy Continues.
Air India First Flight Covers
The Legacy Continues.
Air India International inaugurated their new destination to Nairobi via Aden. The Post & Telegraphs Department used a special round rubber cachet which was applied to almost all the letters carried by this plane.
As the plane took off half hour past midnight on the 21st , that is why you will find all the stamps were cancelled on 20th. Though the letters were received at GPO and the Airport Post Office, other dates also might exist. The cut-off for clearance was 1800hrs at GPO and 2130hrs at the Airport Post office.
This Cover was flown from Bombay to Aden with 10 as. postage and a circular postal cancellation of AIRPORT BOMBAY, BATCH III-B, 20 Jan 50 was applied. Delivery cancel of 21st Jan on the back. Violet Cachet on the front. On the reverse is the arrival mark Aden 21 Jan 50, and delivery mark, Aden Camp, 21 Jan 50.
This Cover was flown from Bombay to Aden with 10 as. postage and a circular postal cancellation of AIRPORT BOMBAY, BATCH III-B, 20 Jan 50 was applied. Delivery cancel of 21st Jan on the back. Violet Cachet and an Airmail sticker on the front. On the reverse is the arrival mark Aden 21 Jan 50, and delivery mark, Aden Camp, 21 Jan 50.
This Cover was flown from Bombay to Aden with 10 as. postage and a circular postal cancellation of AIRPORT BOMBAY, BATCH III-B, 20 Jan 50 was applied. Delivery cancel of 21st Jan on the back. Violet Cachet and an Airmail sticker on the front. On the reverse is the arrival mark Aden 21 Jan 50, and delivery mark, Aden Camp, 21 Jan 50.
Air India First Flight Cover Bombay Nairobi 21 Jan 1950
Type of Aircraft: Lockheed Constellation.
Air India flight cover to Nairobi. This Cover was flown from Bombay to Nairobi with 12 as. postage and a circular postal cancellation of AIRPORT BOMBAY, BATCH III-B, 20 Jan 50 was applied. Delivery cancel of 21st Jan on the back. Violet Cachet and an Airmail sticker on the front, no delivery cancel was given at Nairobi.
Air India flight cover to Nairobi. This Cover was flown from Bombay to Nairobi with 12 as. postage and a circular postal cancellation of AIRPORT BOMBAY, BATCH III-B, 20 Jan 50 was applied. Violet Cachet and an Airmail sticker on the front, no delivery cancel was given at Nairobi.
Air India flight cover to Nairobi. This Cover was flown from Bombay to Nairobi with 12 as. postage and a circular postal cancellation of Hughes Road, Bombay, 20 Jan 50 was applied. Violet Cachet and an Airmail printed on the front, no delivery cancel was given at Nairobi.
The curious case of Air India's 2nd Flight Cover Bombay Nairobi 21 Jan 1950
A rare, unique, first of its kind aerophilately cover, Air India flight cover.
Presenting you a special
Air India 1950 Bombay Nairobi flight cover which travelled on the 2nd flight as it missed the first.
I am grateful to Shri Piyush Khaitan for his guidance and in helping me understand this cover. He himself being an avid Air India collector, his vast and beautiful collection can be seen on indianairmails.com and airindiacollector.com.
The cover in question has an arrival mark of 26th Jan 1950. Please see the calendar of January 1950 and the timetable attached below to understand. Though the first flight was on 21st Jan 1950 ,the flight was scheduled weekly once every Thursday from Bombay at 00.05 hrs. So the 2nd flight flew from Mumbai on Thursday 26th Jan 1950 at 00.05 hrs and reached Nairobi on the same day Thursday 26th Jan 1950 at 11.00 hrs. Hence the cover bears a double 26th Jan arrival mark at the back.
Image Courtesy: Shri Piyush Khaitan
Air India First Flight Cover Calcutta London 17 October 1950, Blue Cancel
Type of Aircraft: Lockheed Constellation.
12th March 1950 Rome established as a stop
26th July 1950 Karachi established as a stop
Air India announced its next route from Calcutta to London via Bombay. Violet cancel is applied here on both front and back, usually there is only one cancel. This cover is sent from Lungleh, Mizoram to Shropshire, England.
Air India First Flight Cover Calcutta London 17 October 1950, Violet Cancel
Type of Aircraft: Lockheed Constellation.
Air India Calcutta London flight cachet with Maroon cancel and Circus, Calcutta postmark. Addressed to Germany delivery cancel of 20th Oct. A commercial cover flown on the first flight.
Cover flown on Air-India's inaugural flight from Calcutta to London via Bombay . Stamps cancelled CAL FGN. POST, 16 Oct, 1.45 PM, 1950, Air., and a maroon boxed rectangular cachet saying, CALCUTTA - LONDON, FIRST FLIGHT 17th OCT '50, G.P.O. CALCUTTA, on the reverse. a small square box. You can also see a Rhombic black cancel on the cover, it is a GB census marking (introduced 1922) to keep record of volume of mail passing thru a particular post office, mostly done in Sep/Oct every year.
This type of cover is the only type where it was typed first flight cover, all others are commercial covers
17th October 1950 Calcutta London FFC Registered mail-from Park Street to South Devon UK. A commercial cover flown on the first flight.
No official Flight cover was issued, the mail carried on the flight was stamped to commemorate the flight.
4th November 1950 Malabar Princess VT-CQP crashed into Mont Blanc, Switzerland
Air India First Flight Cover Bombay Dusseldorf 21 February 1953
Type of Aircraft: Lockheed Constellation.
Coming Soon
Air India First Flight Cover Dusseldorf Bombay
01 March 1953
Type of Aircraft: Lockheed Constellation.
Type 1: Airmail aerogramme, Dusseldorf Bombay Dusseldorf
Type 2: Durch Luftpost aerogramme, Dusseldorf Bombay
Type 3: Durch Luftpost aerogramme, Dusseldorf Bombay Dusseldorf
Duesseldorf was added as an extra stop in the Bombay London Route on 1st March 1953. No official cover was issued by Air India, these are the only 3 types known or seen so far. The aerogramme was posted to Bombay , two delivery marks behind
Parliament passed the Air Corporation act in 1953. Two Corporations were formed. India Airlines Came into being on the 1st of August 1953 and Air India came into being on 15th June 1953.
Eight companies were merged to form Indian Airlines viz: Himalayan Airlines, Bharat Airways, Airways(India)Ltd., Indian National Airways Ltd.
Deccan Airways Ltd,
Air India Ltd, Air Services of India and Kalinga Airways.
Air India First Flight Cover BombayMadras Singapore 16 July 1954
Type of Aircraft: Lockheed Constellation.
16th July 1954 Bombay Singapore via Madras Inaugural Flight sent by Shavak Mistry. Singapore receiving Stamp of 20th July 1954 and returned back to sender by Surface mail received in Bombay on 6th August 1954.
AI350 would depart Bombay every Friday at 18.30 reach Madras at 21.15, depart at 22.45 and reach Singapore at 07.35 hrs Saturday morning.
AI351 would depart Singapore at 07.00 hrs Sunday morning, reach Madras at 12.00 noon Saturday, depart at 14.00 and reach Bombay at 18.30 Sunday evening.
Air India First Flight Cover Bombay Hong Kong 14 August 1954
Type of Aircraft: Lockheed Constellation.
Name of Aircraft: Himalayan Princess,
Registration Mark: VT-DAS,
Pilots: Capt. H.B. Mistry, Capt.R.N. Goday
Air India next connected Bombay to Hong Kong via Calcutta on the 14th August 1954. The 8th June 1948 official cover was modified to use here. All covers have a 12 As stamps with Bombay Stock Exchange Postmark. DLO mark at the back dated 16 Sep 1954.
Air India First Flight Cover Hong Kong Bombay 17 August 1954
Type of Aircraft: Lockheed Constellation.
Name of Aircraft: Himalayan Princess,
Registration Mark: VT-DAS,
Pilots: Capt. H.B. Mistry, Capt.R.N. Goday
Air India Hong Kong Bombay flight took place on the 17th August. Special cover was printed showing the map connecting Bombay via Bangkok and Calcutta. Also enclosed special souvenir card.
07.05.1955 This route was extended to Tokyo.
Air India First Flight Cover Bombay Bangkok
14 August 1954
Type of Aircraft: Lockheed Constellation.
Coming Soon
Below is a Really Unique flight cover for the Bombay Hongkong flight from Germany with a plethora of cancels, need more study......
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