Launches ‘Xpress Wali Baat Hai’ Campaign Featuring Pankaj Tripathi

The campaign celebrates the signature Air India Express experience, defined by a wide network, comfortable cabin experience, ‘Gourmair’ hot meals, and the unmatched warmth of Indian hospitality

May-2026, National: Air India Express has launched its brand campaign ‘Xpress Wali Baat Hai’, featuring acclaimed actor Pankaj Tripathi. The campaign offers a relatable and evocative portrayal of the moments that make a travel experience truly memorable. It unfolds through a series of short films, each spotlighting a core pillar of the signature Air India Express experience, defined by comfortable seating, ‘Gourmair’ hot meals, and the unmatched warmth of Indian hospitality, on an expansive network of 500 daily flights across South, Southeast and West Asia.

Pankaj Tripathi’s grounded persona and wide appeal across metros and emerging cities resonates the essence of the Air India Express network. With his characteristic authenticity, he brings to life the airline’s reliability and promise of making every journey comfortable, familiar, and distinctly Indian.

In its first week, the campaign has already delivered strong traction during the Tata IPL and across digital platforms, with a reach of over 200 million, and over 1 billion views, while achieving a record online engagement rate of 33%, alongside widespread appreciation for its storytelling, relatability and effectiveness.

Acclaimed actor Pankaj Tripathi said: “For me, a good journey is one that stays with you even after it ends, and that’s exactly what ‘Xpress Wali Baat Hai’ captures. It reflects an aspiration we all share when we travel, to feel genuinely cared for along the way. What I truly appreciated about this campaign is its simplicity and honesty. It doesn’t try too hard, it simply brings alive those small moments of comfort, warmth, and joy that win your heart and stay with you.”

Siddhartha Butalia, Chief Marketing Officer, Air India Express, said: “This campaign reflects the essence of the proposition we have been building at Air India Express, an experience that goes beyond the functional, to creating meaningful connections with our guests, rooted in the warmth of Indian hospitality. What differentiates us is the attention to every element of the journey, from the comfort of our cabin experience and the authenticity of our Gourmair hot meals, to a network that reflects the cities powering growth across the region. This campaign brings that promise to life through a voice that is authentic, relatable, and deeply rooted in everyday experiences.”

The campaign comes at a defining moment in the airline’s transformation journey. Air Indian Express has emerged as India’s second-largest   airline in terms of both domestic and international routes, with a dominant presence across Southeast and West Asia. The airline has rapidly expanded its domestic footprint, adding 12 new destinations in the last year. With a fleet of over 100 aircraft, more than two-thirds of which are new, and a network spanning Indian metros, state capitals, commercial hubs and leisure destinations, the airline is positioned to be at the forefront of the next phase of growth in the region.

The campaign is currently running across television, digital platforms, OTT, cinema, print, and outdoor media, supported by content collaborations and social media engagement. It is live with the official broadcast partner for the ongoing Tata IPL, complemented by Air India Express’ presence as an associate sponsor for the season.

Air India Express Unveils The Flying Canvas – India’s First Art‑wrapped Aircraft

Wrapped in an original artwork by contemporary artist Osheen Siva, in partnership with the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, the custom art livery for the airline’s new Boeing 737‑8 aeroplane is an extension of the airline’s Tales of India initiative, connecting people, places, and cultures. 

April 2026, National: Air India Express unveiled ‘The Flying Canvas’, a special art‑wrapped Boeing 737‑8 aeroplane (VT‑BWV), extending the airline’s long‑standing tradition of celebrating India’s cultural heritage through evocative aeroplane liveries. The Air India Express fleet has served as a flying showcase of the nation’s cultural and artistic legacy, with variable tail art featuring adaptations from Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings to national heritage monuments and representations of classical art forms like Kathakali, Kathak and Bharatnatyam. The airline’s refreshed brand identity in October 2023 marked the launch of the Tales of India initiative, a series under which every new aircraft tail of its rapidly expanding fleet features a unique artistic design, inspired by indigenous craft, textiles and traditions, such as Kalamkari, Bandhani, Kanjivaram, and Banarasi. The Flying Canvas is the latest extension and most innovative expression of this cultural design philosophy. 

At the heart of this creative milestone is internationally recognised multidisciplinary contemporary artist Osheen Siva, known for her distinctive practice that blends heritage, identity and speculative futures. The collaboration is a result of Air India Express’ multi-year partnership with the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India’s first and largest international exhibition of contemporary art.  

Wrapped in an original artwork created by Osheen Siva, whose work reimagines heritage as a living, evolving force, ‘The Flying Canvas’ transforms into the fastest moving cultural installation. The art livery features a Tamil figure carrying memory and heritage into the future, adorned with traditional motifs that symbolise lineage, identity and continuity. As India’s first full‑aircraft contemporary art wrap, this initiative brings a bold new dimension to Air India Express’ long‑standing commitment to celebrating India’s culture across the skies. 

Commenting on the concept and campaign, Siddhartha Butalia, Chief Marketing Officer, Air India Express, said, “Art is one of the most powerful universal languages - it transcends borders, cultures, and geographies to connect people in ways few things can. With the Tales of India and its extension to The Flying Canvas project, we are literally taking that idea to the skies, transforming an aircraft into a moving expression of living cultural identity. This initiative reflects how we see travel - not just as a journey between destinations, but as an opportunity to experience, interpret, and connect with culture and communities in meaningful ways. As one of the most culturally engaged airlines globally, we are proud and delighted to create spaces where art, travel, and human connection come together.” 

Thomas Varghese, CEO of the Kochi Biennale Foundation, said, "The Kochi-Muziris Biennale has always been a celebration of art transcending boundaries, bringing contemporary practice out of galleries and into the everyday lives of people. Through this association with Air India Express, that vision literally takes flight. 
As this aeroplane traverses over 60 destinations, it carries with it the soul of indigenous culture and the vibrancy of contemporary art to people far beyond our shores. It is a proud moment for us to see art soaring to the skies and igniting conversations between people and cultures - a journey that reminds us that art, like flight itself, has the power to connect the world." 

During the previous edition of the Biennale, Air India Express unveiled a bespoke tail art on one of its Boeing aircraft. This association laid the foundation for deeper engagement with India’s contemporary art ecosystem and now continues with a full aircraft wrapped in art for the 2025–26 edition.