New tail art unveiled
Thiruvananthapuram, 26th January 2023: Air India Express unveiled a new tail art developed at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale and installed on Boeing 737-800 aircraft VT-AXN. The tail art was unveiled by Mr. P. A. Mohamed Riyas, Minister of Public Works and Tourism, Kerala, along with Mr. Aloke Singh, CEO of Air India Express and President of Air Asia India, and Mr. Bose Krishnamachari, President of Kochi Biennale Foundation.
The 25-feet-long tail art is an adaptation of an original acrylic painting by artist Ms.Smitha G.S. The painting depicts a parallel timeline through the planes of memory, recreating colourful landscapes filled with chameleons, grasshoppers, micro-organisms and aquatic creatures. The metaphysical painting simultaneously reveals the enigma of tiny creatures and the enormity of hills and flowerbeds.
The unveiling event took place at a hangar of Air India Engineering Services Limited situated at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.
Mr. P. A. Mohamed Riyas, Minister of Public Works and Tourism, Kerala, said, “Back in 1935, Mr Tata’s first plane landed in this very Thiruvananathapuram international airport and we have seen many such milestones in Kerala. Tourism plays a very important role in our state and it is considered one of the best tourism destinations. The vibrant tail art that carries the culture of India and this unique partnership between Air India Express and Kochi Biennale shows their commitment to art and culture. Air India Express operates international flights from all four airports of Kerala and I wish it becomes a more formidable force in Indian aviation.”
Air India Express has been carrying India’s rich culture and heritage through the tail arts since its inception, owing to its commitment to the country’s art and culture. This brand new tail art by the Kochi Biennale artists is a priceless souvenir of a partnership of art and aviation – of Air India Express’ beautiful association with the Kochi Muziris Biennale.
The Kochi-Muziris Biennale festival, which began in December 2022 and will go on till April 2023, is Asia’s largest contemporary art festival and Air India and Air India Express are the official travel partners for the festival.
Mr. Aloke Singh, CEO, Air India Express; President of Air Asia, India, spoke about the new and special addition to AIE’s tail-art collection, “Kochi – Muziriz Biennale has emerged as one of its kind art event in the country, and by placing a piece of art developed by Biennale on our aircraft, we take the spirit of Biennale to the overseas. I am sure this will go a long way strengthening the tourism potential of this art event.”
Commenting on this association, Mr. Bose Krishnamachari, President, Kochi Biennale Foundation, said, “Both Air India Express and the Kochi Biennale Foundation believe in giving a platform to local and international artists to showcase their work to the world. We are thrilled to have created such an impactful piece of tail art for Air India Express that will be enjoyed by thousands of people every day.”
About Air India Express:
Air India Express is India’s first international budget airline. It operates direct point-to-point services connecting primarily Tier 2/ Tier 3 cities in India with destinations in the Gulf/Middle East and South East Asia., with a fleet of 26 Boeing 737 – 800 NG aircraft in an all-economy configuration. Set up in 2005, it has emerged as one of the largest LCCs on the India-Gulf route, with a significant presence across the region. With 19 Indian cities and 14 international destinations in its network, the airline operates more than 600 flights a week. Its livery is unique in the airline industry, showcasing Indian heritage and culture in a contemporary and striking manner. Each aircraft tail is used as a canvas to represent some aspect of its ‘Indian-ness’ with art, architecture and culture In January 2022, Air India Express, together with its parent company Air India, was successfully privatized, with ownership returning to the Tata group that had initially founded Air India. For more details, contact
