Onam in the Skies: Air India Express Serves Sadya for Kerala Diaspora

by R. Suryamurthy August 23, 2025

By R. Suryamurthy August 23, 2025 0 comments 2 minutes read

Courtesy: R. Suryamurthy

For Malayalis flying home or abroad this festive season, Air India Express is bringing a taste of Onam to the skies. The airline will serve a special Onam Sadya on its international flights to and from Kerala and Mangaluru between August 24 and September 6, offering migrants and holidaymakers alike a chance to savor the traditional feast mid-air.

The sadya, central to Onam celebrations, will be presented in a banana-leaf-inspired box adorned with motifs from Kerala’s timeless Kasavu fabric. On the menu are steaming matta rice, avial, erissery, sambhar, kootu curry, banana chips, sharkara varatti and the much-loved payasam. Passengers can pre-book the meal, priced at 500 rupees, via the airline’s website or app up to 18 hours before departure.

For many in the Gulf and beyond, unable to always return home during Onam, the airline hopes the airborne sadya will provide a nostalgic link to Kerala’s harvest festival. “This is more than just a meal – it is a cultural connection at 30,000 feet,” an airline official said.

Air India Express has also extended its “Tales of India” initiative to mark the occasion, unveiling a Boeing 737 aircraft with a tail design inspired by Kasavu as an ode to Kerala’s craft heritage.

The carrier is the largest operator between Kerala and the Middle East, flying around 525 weekly services to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Muscat, Jeddah and other Gulf cities where large Malayali communities live and work. It also connects Mangaluru with key Gulf hubs, routes that see heavy festive-season traffic as families reunite.

Part of the Tata-owned Air India group, Air India Express said its wider “Gourmair” dining menu will continue to feature regional and international favorites, but for now, the focus is firmly on bringing the flavors of Kerala’s grand festival onboard.