“It was like seeing JRD Tata once again…” When Ratan Tata tested Airbus A350 for Air India

Ratan Tata’s love for aviation: Barely a month after Tata Sons took over Air India in February 2022, Airbus showcased its latest long-range jet, the Airbus A350, in Mumbai. The move was timely, as Air India, under its new management, was in urgent need of modern aircraft. Despite his frail health, Ratan Tata, known for his passion for aviation, made it a point to attend the event and even joined a demonstration flight.

Senior pilots accompanying him remarked on his deep knowledge and enthusiasm for aviation, stating that despite his health challenges, he was determined to fly.

"It was like seeing JRD Tata once again," said a senior pilot, drawing parallels between Ratan Tata and his predecessor, JRD Tata, the father of Indian civil aviation. "He wasn’t very comfortable walking, but he wanted to be in the cockpit and experience the flight up front."

Arriving at Mumbai Airport in an ambu-lift due to his limited mobility, the veteran industrialist boarded the A350 and headed straight to the flight deck. Sitting in the jump seat, directly behind the pilots, Tata experienced the aircraft's 40-minute demonstration flight first-hand. 

Oldest Indian to fly F-16

Ratan Tata’s connection with aviation runs deep. A licensed pilot, he had made headlines in 2007 at the age of 69, becoming the oldest Indian to fly an F-16 fighter jet during the Bangalore air show. He continued to pilot aircraft until his health no longer allowed it. In 2013, during preparations for the launch of AirAsia India, Tata even flew into Delhi from Mumbai with AirAsia’s Tony Fernandes. Fernandes later tweeted in jest about how AirAsia had cut costs by having Tata himself as the pilot.

Air India's founder, JRD Tata, who received India's first pilot licence in 1929, was a source of inspiration for Ratan Tata. The Tata group’s reacquisition of Air India in 2022, nearly seven decades after it was nationalised by the Nehru government, was seen as a tribute to JRD’s legacy. "The biggest homage Air India can pay to JRD and Ratan Tata is by fulfilling their vision for the airline," a senior pilot remarked.