In India, Air India recently faced scrutiny when it was revealed that the airline had misplaced a Boeing 737 for 13 years. This aircraft, a Boeing 737-200 cargo plane, was decommissioned and parked at Kolkata airport in 2012. However, it slipped through the airline’s records and went unaccounted for until last month, when the airport authorities notified Air India about the aircraft’s presence in a remote parking bay. The airline had been receiving invoices for accumulated parking fees but had lost track of the aircraft's ownership, which raised concerns about record-keeping practices. The Aviation industry typically maintains strict oversight of grounded aircraft as they represent costs rather than assets. John Strickland, an aviation analyst, pointed out that the scenario of an airline genuinely losing track of an aircraft is quite unusual. Air India's CEO, Campbell Wilson, acknowledged the oversight in a message to staff, acknowledging that disposal of old aircraft is routine, but this case was exceptional because the airline wasn’t even aware of owning the aircraft until it was brought to their attention. The aircraft was originally part of Indian Airlines before being absorbed into Air India after the two companies merged in 2007. After its decommission, the plane was adapted for freight use and was leased to India Post before being withdrawn from service. Unfortunately, during the subsequent restructuring phases of the airline, including a privatization process in 2022, the plane was repeatedly overlooked, leading it to be excluded from critical internal records. This resulted in its omission from transfer documents, which contributed to the difficulty in tracking the asset. Ultimately, the aircraft, identified as VT-EHH, was removed from Kolkata International Airport on November 14 and transported to Bengaluru. The plane will now be repurposed for ground-based engineering training. The decision prompted a review of the airline’s internal practices and the state of abandoned aircraft in the airport, which has faced issues regarding ownership disputes in the past. The incident also highlighted the importance of keeping accurate records for aircraft management to avoid financial and operational pitfalls. Kolkata airport managed to recover approximately INR 10 million in parking fees from Air India, illustrating the financial repercussions of the oversight.