Soon after its formation in 1948, Air India International embarked on a unique journey. A path very different from any other airline. Sometimes quirky, sometimes irreverent, sometimes plain cheeky, Air India endeared itself to passengers for the luxury, love and high standards of excellence wherever it flew and was recognised as the finest airline in the world. At our Online Talk #MaharajahMagic, researcher and collector Piyush Khaitan takes us on a flight of nostalgia and relives this magical era of Indian aviation through his extensive collection of Air India memorabilia including posters, photographs and other artefacts.

About the speaker

Piyush Khaitan is a researcher and collector of Indian Civil Aviation history and memorabilia. He has the world’s largest collection of Air-India related - over 6,000 of them. A large part of this collection is available to view on his website airindiacollector.com. He is also a noted philatelist and was elected Fellow of the Philatelic Congress of India (FPCI) and Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London (FRPSL). He is also winner of the National Champions of Champions trophy in 2023.