Air India Express Celebrates Onam In Kochi With Kasavu-Inspired Aircraft Tail Design

The 10-day annual harvest and cultural festival of Kerala, Onam, is a time to enjoy the Madhya thali, create floral decorations, watch boat races, and mark the homecoming of Mahabali. It falls during the Malayali month of Chingam in September. During this year's vibrant Onam festivities in Kerala, Air India Express unveiled a state-of-the-art Boeing 737-8 aircraft at the Cochin International Airport.

Kasavu-Based Design

This stunning aircraft features captivating tail art inspired by Kerala's traditional "Kasavu" design, symbolising purity, prosperity, and auspiciousness. The Kasavu design, a unique handwoven fabric of Kerala, boasts an elegant off-white or cream colour with striking golden borders and intricate motifs such as floral patterns, peacocks, elephants, and geometric designs. This fabric is traditionally worn during auspicious occasions, including the joyous celebrations of Onam.

In celebration of this special occasion, the dedicated staff of Air India Express in Kochi welcomed the aircraft, registered as VT-BXM, adorned in traditional Kasavu dhotis and sarees. The airline's boarding counters were elegantly decorated with Onam-themed adornments, featuring a beautiful Pookkalam and a stunning floral arrangement. Guests on this memorable flight were greeted with a luxurious Kasavu shawl. The aircraft operated on the Kochi–Bengaluru route.

Other Festive Tail Designs

During its brand relaunch last October, Air India Express introduced a modern interpretation of its heritage tail art with the 'Patterns of India' theme. This featured unique tail designs on each new aircraft. Since the brand refresh, the airline has added 34 new aircraft to its fleet, each showcasing a distinctive tail design inspired by the rich textile patterns across the country. Air India Express operates over 300 weekly departures from Kerala, reaffirming its commitment to providing quality service while celebrating the region's rich cultural heritage.

Routes In Kerala

Kochi

Air India Express operates 102 weekly flights, connecting Kochi directly to four domestic destinations, including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Kolkata, and 10 international destinations: Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, Muscat, Riyadh, Salalah and Sharjah. The airline also provides connectivity to 21 domestic destinations: Amritsar, Ayodhya, Bagdogra, Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Goa, Guwahati, Gwalior, Indore, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mumbai, Mangaluru, Pune, Ranchi, Srinagar, Surat, Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayawada, Varanasi and Vishakhapatnam, and internationally to Jeddah.

Thiruvananthapuram

Air India Express, via 63 weekly departures, directly connects Thiruvananthapuram to four domestic destinations, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kannur, and eight international destinations: Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Muscat, Riyadh, and Sharjah. The airline also provides one-stop connectivity to 21 domestic destinations, including Ayodhya, Bagdogra, Bhubaneshwar, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Gwalior, Indore, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Ranchi, Surat, Varanasi, Vijayawada and Vishakhapatnam, and two international destinations, Jeddah and Singapore.

Kozhikode

Air India Express operates 86 weekly flights from Kozhikode, connecting the city directly to one domestic destination: Bengaluru, and 13 international destinations, including Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait, Muscat, Ras Al-Khaimah, Riyadh, Salalah and Sharjah. The airline also provides one-stop connectivity to 22 destinations: Ayodhya, Bagdogra, Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Gwalior, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Ranchi, Surat, Thiruvananthapuram, Varanasi, Vijayawada and Vishakhapatnam.

Kannur

Air India Express, via 57 weekly departures, directly connects Kannur to 11 international destinations: Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait, Muscat, Ras Al-Khaimah, Riyadh and Sharjah, and one domestic stop: Thiruvananthapuram.