7 years on, former Jet Airways Boeing 777 flies out of Mumbai

The aircraft, sold to Malta-based Ace Aviation earlier this year, was scheduled to depart at 4pm but finally took off around 6.30pm after Indian authorities sought additional compliance documents before granting clearance

Mumbai: Seven years after Jet Airways ceased operations, the first of its former Boeing 777 aircraft flew out of Mumbai on Monday evening.

Mumbai, India. Aug 03, 2026 - A Boeing 777-300ER of Jet Airways departed from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, for Tel Aviv, Israel, on Aug 03, more than seven years after the airline grounded its fleet. The Boeing 777 is among three wide-body aircraft being sold to Malta-based Ace Aviation, a subsidiary of Israel’s Challenge Group, which operates cargo airlines. Mumbai, India. Aug 03, 2026. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Raju Shinde)

The aircraft, sold to Malta-based Ace Aviation earlier this year, was scheduled to depart at 4pm but finally took off around 6.30pm after Indian authorities sought additional compliance documents before granting clearance. Source said it is expected to make its first stop in Tel Aviv.

The departure drew aviation enthusiasts to the airport perimeter, where many gathered to watch the aircraft take flight.

The aircraft is one of three Boeing 777s acquired by Ace Aviation in February after the Supreme Court ordered Jet Airways’ liquidation in November 2024. The aircraft had been preserved in Mumbai, with their engines maintained while they remained grounded. Two more Boeing 777s are being readied for departure after completing the remaining regulatory formalities.

Last month, Jet Airways also auctioned two Boeing 737 aircraft parked in Delhi and Hyderabad, while the sale process for three Airbus A330 aircraft is expected to begin in September.

Jet Airways, founded by Naresh Goyal in 1993, was once India’s largest private full-service airline before mounting financial troubles forced it to suspend operations on April 17, 2019. Its liquidation was ordered by the Supreme Court in November, 2024.