‘Colonial era’ code in aircraft: Businessman moves Bombay High Court

Why should aircraft in India continue to use ‘VT’ (Victorian or Viceroy Territory) as their nationality or country code even after seven decades of the end of the colonial rule?

With this question in mind, Vijaypat Singhania, former chairman emeritus of Raymond Group and a registered pilot, along with Pune-based businessman Vijay Sethi, recently moved the Bombay High Court seeking directions to the Aviation Ministry to approach the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to get a new code or registration alphabets for all aircraft in the country.

The petition seeking new registration code ‘BH’ (short form for Bharat) or ‘MG’ (initials of Mahatma Gandhi,