On 8 June 1948, India’s first international flight departed from Mumbai (then Bombay). The aircraft ‘Malabar Princess’ travelled about 5,000 miles to reach London in a 24-hour trip with refueling stops at Cairo and Geneva. The Air India’s flight was a weekly service started between India and United Kingdom. Malabar Princess was a 40 seater Lockheed L-749 Constellation, propeller-driven four-engine aircraft, registered as VT-CQP. The cost of the ticket was Rs. 1,720. The captain of the flight was K R Guzdar.
Dainik Jagran, Ludhiana 08-06-2022
