Air India museum with Gaitonde, Hussain paintings to open in Mumbai in February

The plan, which was put on hold owing to uncertainty over the future of the loss-making airline, has been revived with Rs4-crore help from Maharashtra’s culture department

The Air India museum that will display 300 artworks acquired by the airline over the past seven decades is likely to open in February. It was scheduled to be inaugurated on Independence Day.

The museum will come up on a 20,000-sq ft space on the first floor of the airline’s landmark building at Marine Drive. (HT FILE)

The plan, which was put on hold owing to uncertainty over the future of the loss-making airline, has been revived with Rs4-crore help from Maharashtra’s culture department, said sources in the company.

Apart from paintings by famous artists namely VS Gaitonde, MF Hussain, Arpana Caur, Anjolie Ela Menon and KA Ara, the airline has a large collection of Indian craft, including wood art from Gujarat and South India, wall hangings, stone carvings, antique rugs,textiles and a collection of 19th century clocks of 19th century. The airline has textiles representing 65 different regions of India.

“We are working on the museum. It will be ready by February 2018,” said Mukesh Bhatia, executive director of the airline’s western region.

The airline was founded by J R D Tata as Tata Airlines in 1932.

The museum will come up on a 20,000-sq ft space on the first floor of the airline’s landmark building at Marine Drive.

The artworks are currently stored at Mumbai headquarters.