Air India’s winning bowls

Air India’s winning bowls
By Daisy Melwani


Marrying two of India’s national past-times, cricket and cuisine, Air India have launched a new onboard menu keeping in line with the ICC World Cup spirit.

The revamped menu, served onboard flights between India and Australia throughout the tournament, is in line with Air India’s bid to look into new ways to increase traffic between the two nations.

While primarily serving a significant VFR market out of Sydney and Melbourne, the carrier’s Australian manager, Madhu Mathen said they have seen growth in leisure and corporate segments since launching services in September 2013.

“The VFR market is sweet pickings. The other markets are more challenging and we need to work toward (increasing) that,” Mathen told Travel Weekly at Wednesday’s menu-launch.

Operating a single Dreamliner 787 between the Delhi, Melbourne and Sydney, Mathen said the two-class configuration will remain with its business class reaching around 60% capacity.

Currently off the back of India’s peak travel season which runs from November to January, Mathen said the carrier operated at 85% load levels on its Australian services which runs a triangular route Sydney and Melbourne to Delhi.

“We would like to expand into two flights (double capacity) instead of combining the flights, but it’s difficult to say when, but that’s the aim,” Mathen said.

The Air India flight from Delhi also offers passengers the option to see both Melbourne and Sydney under the one ticket.

Air India currently operates 18 Dreamliner 787 but has 9 more on order.

The new menu includes dishes named in honour of famous cricketers, and include an Indian style chicken named as Dhoni’s Swashbuckling Super Sixer, a paneer (cottage cheese) dish is called Raina’s Cheesy Pull Shot, fish of the day called Captain Smith’s Catch of the Season, and a traditional rasamalai designated as Sachin’s Sweet Drive.

Business Class menu cards signed by cricketers will be presented as a souvenir and those passengers will also be given special sleep wear with a bat wielding Maharajah on the front.

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