26/12/2025
How Air India “forgot” a whole aircraft — and what it teaches organizations about Fixed Asset Management.
Recently, Air India discovered a 43-year-old Boeing 737 that had been lying abandoned at Kolkata Airport for nearly 13 years. Even more surprising — the aircraft did not appear in their fixed asset register. It took a request from the airport authorities to finally bring this missing aircraft to light.
This isn’t just an aviation story — it’s a powerful reminder for every organisation:
👉 Assets can go missing from registers
👉 Old or idle equipment can remain unrecorded
👉 Depreciation may continue on non-existent assets
👉 M&A valuations can become misleading
👉 Compliance gaps can create serious governance issues
Fixed Asset Management is not a formality — it's a financial safeguard. A regular verification of assets would have flagged this aircraft immediately as an “excess asset.”
For companies, regular asset verification isn’t just about compliance. It protects financial accuracy, supports decision-making, and prevents costly oversights.
If Air India can "misplace" a jumbo jet, picture laptops or machinery doing the same in your firm. Treat Fixed Asset Management as a core safeguard, not paperwork.
