Indore: 50-year journey of Air India city ticket booking office ends  

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): After over 50 years Air India, the country's oldest airline, shut down its city ticket booking office. The decision has been taken in view of the online booking of the tickets. Like other airlines, now Air India will have its office only at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport. 

Indian Airlines, which merged with Air India in 2007, has the credit of kick-starting flight operations in the city. Official sources of Air India confirmed that Air India has shut down its city ticket booking office located in Abhay Prashal at Race Course Road. Though this development went viral on Wednesday, but sources said that it was literally shut-down from March 6 by keeping the shutter of the office almost closed. Air India has pasted a notice to this effect on the shutter of the office. the notice states that the office is being closed with immediate effect. You can approach the ticket counter located at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport. 

Only three staff members - one station manager, a ticket booking clerk and a peon were working in the office at the time of its closure. In the next few days, the office would be surrendered to Abhay Prashal management.  

Dhananjay Gadgil, former station manager of Indian Airlines in the city, informed that earlier Sanghi Travels was the authorised ticket booking agent and flight handler of Indian Airlines. Later in 1972, India Airlines opened its first office in Thanewala compound, where Hotel President is located at present. Later Air India also opened an office close to Starlit Talkies, where presently Yashwant Plaza is located. After the merger of Indian Airlines with Air India in 2007, a unified office was opened in Abhay Prashal at Race Course Road. Nagesh Namjoshi, the aviation expert of the city, said that to start with the office at Abhay Prashal was bigger in size than what it was when closed.