The Hindu : IA to sell plane hijacked to Kandahar as scrap

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 17, 2002

National

National

IA to sell plane hijacked to Kandahar as scrap

By Pranab Dhal Samanta

NEW DELHI NOV. 16. Nearly three years after it was hijacked to Kandahar while on its way to the Capital, Airbus 300 VT-EDW of Indian Airlines has now been "junked". Except for some functional parts and spares, the aircraft would be sold as scrap.

While the decision to phase out this ageing plane was taken on December 20, 1999 — four days before it took off from Kathmandu — being discarded to the junkyard was not part of the original script.

After returning from Kandahar, the plane was impounded as case property on February 5, 2000, and stationed at the airliner's Airbus 300 hangar at Mumbai. While the case went on, the airliner floated a global tender for the plane's sale on March 22, 2000. No bids were received and the tender was repeated two months later.

On May 30, 2000, the Florida-based Aviation System International Inc. (ASI Inc.) sent a bid of $23,75,000. The offer was accepted within a week and the Ministry of Civil Aviation granted approval on September 25, 2000. Subsequently, an earnest amount of $1,18,000 was deposited.

Indian Airlines then approached a Patiala court seeking permission for sale. The court, however, turned down the plea. Following this, the airliner moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court which while allowing the sale, ordered prior preparation of a 10 feet model of the aircraft.

Also, Indian Airlines was asked to facilitate detailed photography and videography of the plane.

Once this was done, VT- EDW was all set to make the journey to Florida in February 2001.

Fate, however, again threw a spanner in the works. ASI Inc. first expressed inability to take delivery of the plane on technical grounds and then declined to pick it up due to "non-availability of maintenance slot".

Frustrated by the continuous wrangling, Indian Airlines decided to "cannibalise" the plane in December 2001. This involved removal of all functional parts and spares.

The airliner has now decided to hand over the remains to the Metal Scrap and Trading Corporation of India for further sale. "We might get good money from the scrap. Aircraft metal does fetch a good price in the junk market," an official summed up.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National