AirAsia gives livery tribute to JRD Tata on its aircraft

HYDERABAD: AirAsia India, the joint venture airline between the Malaysian budget carrier and Tata Sons, unveiled its fourth aircraft with a livery dedicated to JRD, the Tata group patriarch and also the founder of India's first airline.

It was unveiled by GMR's aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul unit at the Hyderabad airport.

Named 'The Pioneer', the aircraft is painted with an image of the JRD Tata standing beside the Puss Moth, the aircraft on which he operated India's first commercial flight on October 15, 1932. This led to the birth of Tata Airlines later nationalised by the Indian government and renamed Air India.

Since then, the Tatas had made several unsuccessful attempts to enter Indian aviation until last year when it forged the joint venture with AirAsia. Subsequently, it launched a second venture called Vistara with Singapore Airlines.

"AirAsia India's special livery 'The Pioneer' pays tribute to the man who pioneered aviation in India. AirAsia shares the same passion and zeal JRD Tata had towards setting up an airline in India and we will continue the legacy," said Tony Fernandes, CEO of the Malaysian carrier.

JRD Tata was a visionary. He established civil aviation in India because he believed that the country and its people must benefit from what the rest of the world did. I am happy that AirAsia is paying a tribute to him," said Ratan Tata, the salt-to-software conglomerate's chairman emeritus who was present at the event.

Fernandes has on several occassions spoken about his admiration for Tata. This time was too he "saluted" his "hero".

"If everyone of our partners was as gracious and heroic as Ratan Tata, I would look like Mittu (Chandilya," said Fernandes, referring to the AirAsia India, CEO.

Chandilya is a former model who has been in the news as much for his looks as for the airline he leads.