 | |
| Founded | September 1945 (September 1945)[1] |
|---|---|
| Commenced operations | July 1946 |
| Ceased operations | 1953 |
| Hubs | Begumpet Airport |
| Headquarters | Hyderabad |
Deccan Airways Limited was a commercial airline based at Begumpet Airport[2] in the former Hyderabad State. It was owned by the Nizam of Hyderabad and Tata Airlines.[3]
Founded in 1945, Deccan was one of the nine airlines that existed in India during independence. The airline was a joint ventureofNizam Government of the former Hyderabad State and Tata Airlines. 71% of Deccan Airways was owned by the Nizam's Government and the rest was owned by Tata Sons and others. Commercial operations were launched with a fleet of three aircraft in July 1946, operating a biweekly service between Madras and Delhi via Hyderabad, Nagpur, Bhopal, and Gwalior. It also flew a biweekly Hyderabad-Bangalore flight.[4] By March 1947, the airline had seven aircraft in its fleet and was operating the Madras-Delhi flight daily as well as a daily Hyderabad-Bombay flight.[5] Between July 1946 and May 1947, the airline had carried more than eleven thousand passengers, 51 tonnes of freight, and almost seven tonnes of mail.[6]
After Operation Polo and the annexation of Hyderabad State, the airline was owned by the Government of India. By 1952, the Government of India held 78% of the shares of Deccan Airways. The shares were acquired from the Hyderabad Government & Nizam State Railways. 13% of the shares was still held by Tatas & 9% by the general public.[7]
In 1953, Deccan Airways Limited, along with seven other airlines under the Air Corporations Act, were merged to form a single domestic carrier, Indian Airlines. On 10 October 1953, Deccan Airways resigned its associate membership of IATA.[8][9][10][11][12][13]
When Deccan was merged with Indian Airlines in 1953, it had a fleet of thirteen Douglas DC-3 'Dakota' aircraft. The DC-3 aircraft were brought from US Air Force at a throw away price after they were left unused in Assam after World War II.
