SSC
Air transport (the first commercial air mail flight) was launched in India in:
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Answer: Option A — 1911
Detailed Solution
India's aviation history began on 18 February 1911, when the French pilot Henri Pequet flew a Humber-Sommer biplane carrying about 6,500 letters from Allahabad to Naini, across the Yamuna river, a distance of about 10 kilometres. This was the world's first official airmail flight. It was organised as part of the United Provinces Industrial and Agricultural Exhibition at Allahabad. The covers carried were stamped "First Aerial Post, U.P. Exhibition Allahabad 1911".
Important milestones in Indian civil aviation:
1932: J.R.D. Tata, who held India's first commercial pilot licence (No. 1, obtained in 1929), flew a de Havilland Puss Moth carrying mail from Karachi to Bombay via Ahmedabad on 15 October 1932. This marked the start of Tata Air Lines, India's first airline.
1946: Tata Air Lines became a public company and was renamed Air India.
1948: Air India International began flights from Bombay to London.
1953: The Air Corporations Act nationalised the airline industry, creating Indian Airlines for domestic routes and Air India for international routes. Eight private airlines were merged into them.
1994: The Air Corporations Act was repealed, allowing private airlines to operate scheduled services again.
2007: Indian Airlines was merged with Air India.
2022: Air India was handed over to the Tata group (Talace Pvt Ltd) on 27 January 2022 after strategic disinvestment, returning it to its founders after 69 years.
India is now the third-largest domestic aviation market in the world. The UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) regional connectivity scheme, launched in 2016-17, aims to make air travel affordable in smaller cities. Civil aviation is regulated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and airports are managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI, 1995).
Why not the other options?
1932 is when J.R.D. Tata started Tata Air Lines.
1947 is the year of Independence.
1953 is when air transport was nationalised.
Quick tip
Remember: First airmail = Allahabad to Naini, 18 February 1911 (Henri Pequet); J.R.D. Tata = Karachi-Bombay, 15 October 1932; nationalisation = 1953; Air India back to Tatas = 2022.
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Miscellaneous GK — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Miscellaneous GK, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic collects general knowledge questions that do not fit neatly into a single category, such as national symbols, famous nicknames of places, important events, entertainment, and facts that cut across history, geography and culture. Because these questions come from many areas, the best preparation is broad revision and regular practice. Read each explanation carefully, since it often includes a related fact that is tested in a different form. Keep a notebook of facts you get wrong and revise it before the exam. Practise the miscellaneous GK questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.