Aircraft Travel in India

Having come across a post somewhere about aircraft travel in India, I thought I would share this article I came across in a 1937 travel guide in India, on how airways have improved in the last century or so. Enjoy!

Indian National Airways, Ltd., with and a daily service between Calcutta and Decca. headquarters at Delhi commenced operating in These services were closed owing to lack of regular services were established between support in 1935. In December 1934 Indian National Calcutta and Rangoon, Calcutta and Chittagong Airways commenced operating a weekly service between Karachi and Lahore. On the 1st of January 1935 this service was duplicated to connect with the duplicated Imperial Airways Services at Karachi and the route now runs from Karachi via Jacobabad, Multan to Lahore. Northbound aircraft leave Karachi each Sunday and Thursday and Southbound aircraft arrive Karachi each Sunday and Wednesday. The tourist can also travel by Imperial Airways which runs a weekly service between Croydon, England and Delhi via Karachi, India.

Tata Sons Limited (Aviation Department) of Bombay commenced operating a weekly airmail service in 1032 connecting at Karachi with Imperial Airways. The route is from Karachi via Ahmedabad, Bombay, Hyderabad (Deccan)to Madras. During the monsoon June to September this service is operated via Poona instead of via Bombay owing to the fact that Juhu Aerodrome becomes unserviceable during the wet weather. From the 1st of January 1935 this service was duplicated and now runs bi-weekly. In 1935 Tata Sons Ltd., established a weekly service from Bombay via Goa and Cannanore to Trivandrum. This service operates during the six winter months every year and closes during the monsoon. Both services carry mails and passengers.

The aeroplane of the Karachi-Madras service of Tata Sons Limited calls at Poona instead of at Bombay during the monsoon when the timetable of the Karachi-Madras section is slightly changed. The Karachi-Madras Service is diverted (via) Hyderabad, Deccan, from January 1935. There is also service between Karachi and Rangoon. Arrangements in connection with the inauguration of the Madras Colombo Air Mail Service are being pushed through rapidly and it is believed they will be completed early and it would be about the second week of February that a regular service will commence.

There are excellent motorable roads connecting the trunk roads between Madras and Calcutta and Madras and Bombay. Description of these routes together with Travellers’ Bungalows are given below for the benefit of motorists. An extensive system of motor buses link up all important towns and railway stations in South India.