CleanupBot II at 08:09, 14 August 2023

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{{Infobox airline
|airline=Kalinga Airlines
|logo=
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|IATA=
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|founded=1946
|ceased=1965
|headquarters = Calcutta, [[India]]
|key_people = [[Biju Patnaik]] (Founder and Chief Pilot)
|hubs=
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|frequent_flyer=
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'''Kalinga Airlines''' was a private [[airline]] based in [[Calcutta]], [[India]]. It was founded in 1947 by aviator and politician [[Biju Patnaik]], who was also the airline's chief pilot.<ref>{{cite news |title= Biju Patnaik, 81, Daring Pilot-Patriot of India| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/21/world/biju-patnaik-81-daring-pilot-patriot-of-india.html| author=John F. Burns| work=New York Times| date= April 21, 1997}}</ref> The airline was nationalised and merged into [[Indian Airlines]] in 1953. It restarted operations as a non-scheduled charter operator in 1957 and flew passengers and cargo until 1972.

== History ==
In 1947, Biju Patnaik, who used to be a [[Royal Indian Air Force]] World War II [[Spitfire]] and [[DC-3]] pilot, carried soldiers into [[Kashmir]], landing the first platoon of troops in [[Srinagar]]. Kalinga Airlines' DC-3s were also used to drop supplies at North Eastern India.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kalingafoundationtrust.com/website/biju-patnaik-profile.htm| title=Biju Patnaik}}</ref> In 1953, the airline, along with other seven independent domestic airlines including [[Deccan Airways Limited|Deccan Airways]], Airways India, Bharat Airways, [[Himalayan Aviation]], [[Indian National Airways]], [[Air India]] and [[Air Services of India]] was nationalised and merged into the Indian Airlines Corporation.

Kalinga Airways restarted operations in December 1957 by the merger of five airlines, Assam Airways, Indamer Airways, Jamair, Kalinga and [[Darbhanga Aviations]] with a fleet of 15 DC-3s.<ref>{{cite news|title=World Airline Directory, ''Flight'', April 18, 1958 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1958/1958%20-%200523.html}}</ref> Since May 1960, Kalinga specialised in supply dropping operations in the north-east regions of the country. Non-scheduled operations from Bombay to Dubai were also operated but were suspended in October 1962 to focus on supply dropping.<ref>{{cite web| title=World Airline Directory, ''Flight'', April 2, 1964 | url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1964/1964%20-%200910.html}}</ref> The air-drop operations were taken over by the Indian Air Force in June 1967<ref>{{cite web| title=World Airline Survey, ''Flight'', April 11, 1968 | url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1968/1968%20-%200556.html}}</ref> and the airline reverted to passenger and cargo charters until February 1972.<ref>{{cite news| title=World Airline Directory| publisher= [[Flight (magazine)|Flight]]| date= April 2, 1964 | url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1964/1964%20-%200910.html}}</ref>

== Incidents and accidents ==

* On 31 December 1951, the DC-3 carry three crew members struck trees on climb-out in limited visibility conditions.
* On September 15, 1952, a Kalinga Airlines [[Douglas Dakota]] cargo flight crashed in [[Wadi Halfa]], [[Sudan]] killing three crew members aboard.
* On 10 April 1952, Douglas C-47A-25-DK carrying four crew members lost control when carrying out an emergency landing following an engine failure.<ref>[http://aviation-safety.net/database/operator/airline.php?var=5904 Aviation Safety Network > ASN Aviation Safety Database > Operator index > India > Kalinga Airlines]. Aviation-safety.net (2012-03-04). Retrieved on 2014-05-21.</ref>
* On August 30, 1955, a Kalinga Airlines [[Douglas Dakota]] lifted off prematurely in Simra, [[Nepal]] in order to avoid hitting someone crossing the runway. Two of the three crew members aboard were killed.<ref>[http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=139903 Did it come with a bang then? Nepal's early aviation history.] {{dead link|date=January 2018|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
* On 17 OCT 1965 Douglas C-47A-75-DL carry 8 people including 5 passengers crashed while dropping supplies in Mohanbari.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080907231512/http://baaa-acro.com/Compagnies%20K/Kalinga%20Airlines.htm Accident/Incident Report]

{{Airlines of India}}

[[Category:Defunct airlines of India]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 1946]]
[[Category:Airlines disestablished in 1953]]
[[Category:Memorials to Biju Patnaik]]
[[Category:Companies based in Kolkata]]
[[Category:Indian companies disestablished in 1953]]
[[Category:Indian companies established in 1946]]

Kalinga Airlines - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 08:09, 14 August 2023