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India.com
4 days ago
- Business
- India.com
THIS is India's first airport, played key role during World War 2, has a Ratan Tata connection; its located in..., was built by...
Representational Image Juhu Aerodrome: India boasts the world's third-largest domestic aviation market, with a total of a 487 airports and airstrips serving the country's 1.4 billion population. But did you know that India's first airport was established less than a century years ago? Let us delve into the unique history of India's first airport that played a vital role during the Second World War. Which is India's first airport? The Juhu Aerodrome, also known as the Vile Parle Aviation Club, in Mumbai, Maharashtra, which was established in 1928 as a private airstrip, holds the distinction of being India's first airport. The airstrip was later turned into a commercial airport, with he first flight landing here in 1932, when Tata Group founder and aviation pioneer JRD Tata– the great grandfather of Ratan Tata– flew on the inaugural flight from Karachi to Mumbai. 'JRD Tata was 15 when he took a joyride in a plane in France, and decided he would become a pilot. In 1932, he pioneered the aviation industry in India, when he set off on the inaugural flight from Karachi to Bombay,' reads a snippet on Tata Group's official website. What role did Juhu Aerodrome play during World War II? According to historical record, the Juhu Aerodrome reportedly played a critical role during World War II, serving as the primary airbase for military operations launched from Mumbai. The Juhu Aerodrome also served as the base for India's first commercial airline, Tata Airlines, which was rechristened as Air India after being acquired the Indian government. However, the Tata Group, then under the leadership of its Chairman Emeritus, late Ratan Tata, reacquired the airline in 2022. The aerodrome served as India's primary airport for quite a while before bigger, more modern airports like the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, were developed. Today, the Juhu Aerodrome is no longer used for commercial flights, and serves as a base for VIP movements.
Time of India
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
How Fred W Smith's logistics revolution changed global food
The Third Punic War, in which Rome destroyed Carthage, was famously fuelled by the delivery of figs. The orator Cato, addressing the Senate, produced fresh figs from Carthage, which he claimed reached Rome in just three days. This convinced senators about the threat from their North African rivals. In his essay 'Cato's African Figs', FJ Meijer analyses the logistics of Roman shipping and fig ripening to argue that the fruits could not have come from Carthage (now Tunisia) so soon. He suggests they came from fig trees from Carthage planted on Cato's Italian estate, which is three days' journey from Rome. Cato twisted words to get the war he wanted, knowing 'the approval fine country fruits would arouse among the senatorial gentlemen farmers'. Meijer had data because Rome stood at the centre of an amazing system to transport perishable foods. Trade networks had transported long-lasting foods, like spices and dried fruits, for centuries. Elites across the world were able to get special deliveries of perishable foods. In the early days of Tata Airlines, later Air India, its early supporters included maharajas who used the planes to send mangoes and paan leaves to their London homes. A remarkable example is the Inca system of casqui relay runners who could bring the king fresh fish from Peru's coast to the capital of Cuzco, 500 km away and 3,300 metres higher. Rome's networks brought foods to regular citizens, in the process changing the geography of the city. Monte Testaccio is an artificial hill in Rome made up of the broken amphorae, the earthen jars that brought vast amounts of olive oil from Spain to Rome. Transport also changed the nature of foods, particularly through the barrels used for carrying wine and spirits. The flavours of the barrel wood permeated the alcohol, adding tastenotes that people came to like so much that now barrelageing is part of the manufacturing process. Fred W Smith , the founder of FedEx, who passed away recently, didn't set out to deliver food, but he wouldn't have been surprised that fresh food deliveries became a potent symbol of the transport revolution he created. Smith's father operated both longdistance buses and one of the earliest quick-service restaurant chains. Chain logistics was in his blood and helped him conceptualise the hub-and-spoke system of logistics where, instead of point-to-point delivery, huge efficiencies are achieved by bringing cargo to a central point and then out again. Smith was an enthusiastic pilot and made dedicated cargo planes vital to the logistics system he set up, centred at Memphis, Tennessee. In Moveable Feasts , Sarah Murray's book on food logistics, she surveys the system through one of its most striking annual events: 'In the runup to Thanksgiving, turkeys by the thousands fly around the country, powered by jetengines, not wings and feathers.' Despite endless reminders to buy in advance, people still order last minute, depending on FedEx and other courier companies to ensure they get their birds in time, in a madly compressed period when much of the cargo through Memphis is meat. Air freight also created a global food craze. A basic logistics problem is ensuring cargo both ways, preventing expensive empty return trips. In the 1970s, as Japan's exports boomed, flights going back from Europe and the USA were running empty. Then someone noticed that bluefin tuna, much prized in Japan for eating raw in sushi and sashimi, was sold as cheap petfood in the West. Systems for flash freezing them from fishing boats were devised and the huge fish were flown to Japan. Sushi made from the rich, fatty fish became affordable, and a taste for it spread from Japan to other parts of the world. Bluefin tuna is now caught globally and flown to Tokyo's Tsukiji market, from where it goes back out to sushi lovers globally. It is a fish-focused version of Smith's hub-and-spoke system, a testament to the transformative power of transporting perishable foods.
India.com
14-06-2025
- Business
- India.com
Who owns Air India planes? Government sold the airlines 3 years ago for Rs 18,000 crore
Who owns Air India planes? Government sold the airlines 3 years ago for Rs 18,000 crore Air India flights was back in discussion after on June 12, a London Gatwick-bound Boeing 787-8 aircraft crashed soon after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport, killing 241 people on board, and several others on the ground as it plunged into a medical college complex. A high-level multi-disciplinary committee, headed by the Union home secretary, will examine the causes that led to the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, and also suggest comprehensive guidelines to prevent such incidents in the future. Aviation watchdog DGCA also ordered enhanced safety inspection of Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet powered by GEnx engines, a day after 241 people onboard died in the plane crash in Ahmedabad. The enhanced DGCA inspection will include checks of various systems and a review of take-off parameters of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft of Air India Who is the owner of Air India? On one hand, when there has been a big accident in the country, on the other hand, there are discussions about the owner of Air India. The owner of Air India is TATA Group. Till a few years ago, the owner of Air India was the Government of India, that is, the government used to operate Air India, but 3 years ago, Tata bought it for Rs 18000 crore. Tata Sons has a 74.9 percent stake in the airline and the remaining 25.1 percent stake is with Singapore Airlines. Let us tell you that this airline was earlier owned by Tata under the name of Air India. Air India is the oldest and first airline company of the country, it was started in 1932 under the name of Tata Airlines. Air India's history with Tata? Tata Airlines made its first scheduled flight from Karachi to Bombay on October 15, 1932, with J.R.D. Tata himself as the pilot. Tata successfully persuaded the colonial government to allow the airline to carry mail from Karachi to Bombay. This marked the beginning of Air India. Over time, Air India expanded its services to include both domestic and international passenger flights. However, as soon as the Second World War began, all of Tata Airlines' aircraft were confiscated by the colonial government. After the war ended in 1946, J.R.D. Tata decided to turn Tata Airlines into a public company, renaming it Air India and offering 49 percent ownership to the government. Air India, founded in 1932, was owned by the Government of India from 1953 to 2022. After spending several years trying to sell it, the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi found a buyer in the Tata Group. Tata, which lost control of Air India nearly seven decades ago, regained it in 2022.
India.com
09-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
India's First Airport Is In THIS City, Played Pivotal Role In World War II – Know Its Tata Link
photoDetails english 2898401 Updated:May 09, 2025, 01:22 PM IST India's First Airport 1 / 7 Did you know that Juhu Aerodrome in Mumbai is India's first airport? Established in 1928, it marked the beginning of the country's civil aviation journey. Located in Mumbai's upscale Juhu area, it was originally known as the Vile Parle Aviation Club. The Iconic First Flight 2 / 7 On October 15, 1932, history was made at Juhu Aerodrome when J.R.D. Tata, the father of Indian aviation, piloted India's first commercial flight from Karachi to Bombay, landing at Juhu. This marked the birth of Tata Airlines, which would later evolve into Air India. J.R.D. Tata 3 / 7 J.R.D. Tata was just 15 years old when he took a joyride in a small plane in France. That flight sparked his lifelong love for aviation. He later became India's first licensed pilot in 1929, just a year after Juhu Aerodrome was built. Juhu's Role During World War II 4 / 7 During World War II, Juhu Aerodrome wasn't just a civilian airstrip — it was transformed into a key military base. It served as Mumbai's primary airport, providing vital support for British and Allied military operations in the region. The Rise of Tata Airlines 5 / 7 With J.R.D. Tata at the helm, Tata Airlines operated from Juhu and played a major role in wartime aviation, transporting mail and supplies during the conflict. This experience laid the groundwork for India's post-war civil aviation sector. From Tata Airlines to Air India 6 / 7 Tata Airlines eventually became Air India in 1946, and was nationalized in 1953. But in a full-circle moment, the Tata Group repurchased Air India in 2022, reconnecting the family legacy with India's national airline. Juhu Today – Not for Commercial Use 7 / 7 Today, Juhu Aerodrome no longer handles commercial flights. It is used for VIP movements, helicopter services, and serves as a secondary aviation base for the city of Mumbai. But its historical significance remains unmatched.
