GURUGRAM: Air India has announced its collaboration with fashion designer Manish Malhotra to design new uniforms for its frontline employees. The new uniforms will be worn by over 10,000 employees, including cabin crew, cockpit crew, ground staff, and security personnel. The partnership is part of Air India’s ongoing modernization program and aims to reflect the airline’s brand, heritage, and culture while meeting the unique requirements of the airline environment.
The new uniforms are expected to be rolled out by the end of 2023. Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson expressed his excitement about the collaboration, saying, “Air India is delighted to be collaborating with Manish Malhotra to represent the very best of a vibrant, bold, and progressive India on the world stage. We are working closely with Manish and his team to create a fresh and exciting new look that supports and represents the new Air India.“
Manish Malhotra, a renowned fashion designer, expressed his honor to collaborate with Air India, saying, “Reimagining their uniforms is the onset of a journey of joy and collaboration, and I am excited to embark on it. Our shared ideology is simple yet profound: to evolve without erasing, to modernize without forgetting. Together, we aim to intertwine tradition with the future, crafting uniforms where comfort meets authenticity, wrapped in timeless elegance.“
Malhotra and his team have already begun meeting with Air India’s frontline staff to better understand their specialized needs. Malhotra’s prolific career spanning over 30 years as a couturier, costume stylist, and entrepreneur has seen him revolutionize the fashion landscape in India. His designs are characterized by their use of rich fabrics and bold colors, and his clothes are known for their perfect fit. He has styled and designed costumes for over a thousand films, including some of the biggest blockbusters in Indian cinema, besides dressing A-list celebrities from around the world.
Air India, founded by the legendary JRD Tata, pioneered India’s aviation sector. Since its first flight on October 15, 1932, Air India has built an extensive domestic network with non-stop flights to cities around the world, across the USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Far East, South-East Asia, Australia, and the Gulf. After 69 years as a government-owned enterprise, Air India and Air India Express were welcomed back into the Tata group in January 2022.
Air India is navigating through a major five-year transformation roadmap under the aegis of Vihaan.AI, with an ambition to become a world-class airline with an Indian heart. The first phase of this transformation, the taxi phase, was recently concluded and focused on fixing the basics. These included bringing back to service many long-grounded aircraft, the addition of talent across flying and ground functions, rapid upgradation of technology, and strengthening of customer care initiatives amongst others. A member of Star Alliance, the largest global airline consortium of leading international airlines, Air India offers seamless connectivity and facilities to passengers all over the world.
Air India’s collaboration with Manish Malhotra to design new uniforms for its frontline employees is a significant step in the airline’s ongoing modernization program. The new uniforms are expected to reflect the airline’s brand, heritage, and culture while meeting the unique requirements of the airline environment. The rollout of the new uniforms is expected to begin by the end of 2023.
