This UAE To Kerala Flight Is Serving A Traditional Onam Sadhya 30,000 Feet Above!

Craving that familiar Onam spread but stuck mid-air on your way home? Well, airlines flying between the UAE and Kerala have found a way to bring the festival straight to your tray table with an authentic Onam Sadhya. This year, the humble sadya, Kerala’s iconic vegetarian feast, isn’t confined to family homes or bustling restaurants. It’s heading skywards, and truth be told, there’s something rather special about unwrapping tradition above the clouds.

Air India Express Airline Brings Onam Sadhya To 30,000 Ft In The Sky

 

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Air India Express recently confirmed that passengers on its UAE–Kerala and UAE–Mangaluru routes can pre-book an Onam sadya between 24 August and 6 September. That window, of course, neatly covers the harvest festival period when thousands of Malayalis fly back home.

The deal is pretty straightforward. For Dh25, travellers can reserve the festive spread up to 18 hours before take-off. The airline has wrapped it in packaging styled like a banana leaf, because come on, we all know sadya doesn’t quite hit the same without that leafy backdrop. The menu itself ticks every box: injipuli (ginger tamarind pickle), mango pickle, banana chips, shakara varatti (sweet banana chips), and, yes, the all-important payasam to finish on a sugary high.

A Feast In The Sky Served On A Banana Leaf

To be fair, it’s a clever move. Air India Express operates around 525 flights weekly out of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah, so they’re catching plenty of passengers longing for that familiar Onam comfort. And in practice, it’s more than just a meal; it’s a bite of nostalgia for families and solo travellers who can’t wait to get home.

Adding a splash of heritage, one of the airline’s newest Boeing aircraft (VT-BXM) even carries tail art inspired by Kerala’s gold-trimmed Kasavu textile. A small detail, sure, but it tells you the airline understands sentiment sells almost as well as seat upgrades.

Emirates And The Sadya Tradition

Now, before anyone crowns Air India Express as the pioneer, let’s rewind. Emirates has also plated up Onam feasts in previous years, serving the multi-dish spread across cabins on flights to and from Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. Authentic flavours, neat presentation, and a nod to tradition all the way until mid-September, passengers loved it.

As of now, though, the Dubai-based giant hasn’t said if it’ll repeat the culinary celebration this year. Maybe they’re planning a last-minute reveal. Or maybe they’re leaving the stage open for their Indian counterpart. Either way, there’s room for more than one airline to keep homesick passengers smiling.

Also Read: 8 Best Spots In Dubai To Enjoy A Traditional Onam Sadhya Feast

More Than Just a Meal

Sadhya is not just a feast, it’s a whole experience for your taste buds. An experience which is hard to squeeze onto a tray table at 30,000 feet, but this airline is doing a wonderful job. The box itself nods to Kerala’s Kasavu weave, a small but clever detail. Open it up and you’ll find more than just chips and pickles. Expect matta rice with nei parippu, thoran, erissery, avial, kootu curry, and sambhar. Truth be told, eating it while strapped into an aircraft seat may lack the chaos of a family dining hall. But for a traveller yearning for familiar flavours before landing, it’s the closest thing to being home. And maybe that’s why this airborne sadya works, it’s not just about taste, it’s about comfort.

Cover Image Courtesy: Air India Express/ Instagram

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