Air India Express adds traditional Onasadya to Kerala-West Asia flights for Onam
Travellers can pre-book the festive feast on selected international services this August
DUBAI – Air India Express is bringing the flavours of Kerala’s Onam celebrations to the skies with a specially curated Onasadya meal.
The festive offering is available to guests travelling on international flights connecting Kerala with destinations across West Asia. Travellers can pre-book the meal for journeys between August 15 and August 31, 2026.
The special Onasadya was launched in Thiruvananthapuram by P. C. Vishnunadh, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Cinema, Government of Kerala, in the presence of Sunil Suresh, Head-Marketing, E-commerce, and Loyalty, Air India group.
Guests travelling during the festive period can pre-book the meal through the Air India Express website or mobile app up to 18 hours before departure. Priced at ₹500, the specially curated Gourmair Onasadya brings together a selection of traditional Kerala dishes associated with the festival.
Festive spread
The meal includes Matta Rice with Parippu, Sambar, Avial, Koottu Curry, Erissery, Thoran, Mango Pickle, Inji Puli, Banana Chips, Sharkara Varatti and Palada Pradhaman.
The Onasadya is served on a banana leaf, while its packaging draws inspiration from Kerala’s iconic Kasavu tradition, known for its distinctive golden borders. The presentation is designed around the visual and culinary traditions associated with Onam celebrations.
Launching the offering, Vishnunadh said Onam reflects togetherness, gratitude and cultural pride, while also providing an opportunity to showcase Kerala’s culinary traditions and hospitality. He welcomed the airline’s initiative to take the flavours and traditions of the festival to travellers across different destinations.
Sunil Suresh said Kerala remains central to Air India Express’ network and the communities it serves. He said the airline’s Onasadya offering would mark the festive season while catering to the large Malayali community travelling on its network between Kerala and West Asia.
Four gateways
The special meal is available on all international Air India Express flights to and from Kerala’s four international gateways: Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode and Kannur.
The airline operates around 2,850 monthly flights from these four international airports. Approximately 70 percent of those services connect Kerala with 13 destinations across West Asia.
The destinations include Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait, Muscat, Ras Al Khaimah, Riyadh, Salalah and Sharjah.
The Onasadya initiative comes as Air India Express continues to serve a sizeable travel network linking Kerala with West Asia, where a large Malayali community regularly travels between the region and the Indian state.
Air India Express is a Tata enterprise operating more than 500 daily flights connecting 48 domestic and 16 international destinations across South, Southeast and West Asia. Its fleet comprises more than 100 Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 aircraft.
The airline also offers its Gourmair hot meals, refreshed interiors, loyalty benefits and other onboard services as part of its wider passenger offering.