.jpg?w=480&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
KOCHI: Joining the grand Onam festivities across Kerala, low-cost airline Air India Express (AIE) on Wednesday flew in a brand-new Boeing 737-8 aircraft, featuring tail art inspired by the traditional “kasavu” design of the southern state, to Kochi airport.
“The kasavu, a handwoven fabric unique to Kerala, is known for its distinctive off-white or cream colour complemented by golden borders. Symbolising purity, prosperity, and auspiciousness, the fabric often features intricate motifs such as floral patterns, peacocks, elephants, and geometric designs. Kasavu is traditionally worn during auspicious occasions, especially festivals like Onam,” said a spokesperson of AIE.
To mark this special occasion, Air India Express staff in Kochi welcomed the aircraft, registered as VT-BXM, dressed in traditional Kasavu dhotis and sarees. The airline’s boarding counters were adorned with Onam-themed decorations, including a pookkalam, a floral arrangement, and each guest on this flight was warmly welcomed with a kasavu shawl. The aircraft operated on the Kochi – Bengaluru route.
At its brand re-launch in October last year, Air India Express introduced a modern interpretation of its heritage tail art with the ‘Patterns of India’ theme, featuring unique tail designs on each new aircraft. Since the brand refurbishing, 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. It 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, 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. It also operates 86 weekly flights from Kozhikode and 57 from Kannur.
Air India Express, a subsidiary of Air India and a part of the Tata group, operates over 380 daily flights, connecting 32 domestic and 14 international airports, with a fleet of 84 aircraft, comprising 64 Boeing 737s and 20 Airbus A320s.