Air India is refreshing the little things that make a difference on a long-haul flight. The airline has introduced new amenity kits for First Class, Business Class and Premium Economy, along with redesigned loungewear for passengers travelling in its premium cabins. The new collection started rolling out in October 2026 on eligible international flights.
The airline has worked with Forest Essentials on the First and Business Class amenity kits, bringing Indian skincare and fragrance products into the onboard offering. The designs also draw on Indian art and textile traditions, with Gond artwork for First Class, a Navratna-inspired collection for Business Class and loungewear influenced by the weaving traditions of Himachal Pradesh. The amenity kits also include an unusual addition: a handcrafted wooden Ayurvedic Marma massager, which Air India says is a first for airline amenity kits.
First Class gets collectable Gond art kits
Air India’s First Class amenity kits are part of a new collection called The Art of Flight. The airline has commissioned Gond artist Dwarka Paraste to create artwork specifically for the kits, drawing on an art form known for its intricate patterns and depictions of nature.
The kits will come in different designs depending on the direction of travel. Passengers departing India will receive ivory cream-coloured kits, while those arriving in India will get antique white versions. Air India plans to refresh the artwork and colour combinations every six months, giving the kits a collectable element.
Air India’s new amenity kits for First Class (image via Air India)
Inside, the kits will feature Forest Essentials products, including a day lotion with SPF 30, facial tonic mist, lip cream, body milk and perfume. These will be presented in a satin pouch, alongside the usual travel essentials such as an eye mask, socks, earplugs and a dental kit. A story card will explain the inspiration behind the artwork.
For an airline trying to establish a more distinctive identity in its premium cabins, this is a sensible way to add more character to an amenity passengers have come to expect as standard in First Class. This will replace the 2024 edition kit by Ferragamo, which replaced Tumi.
Business Class kits take inspiration from the Navratna
Business Class passengers will receive kits from Air India’s Navratna collection, based on the nine gems of Indian tradition. The kits use a jharokha-shaped bag made from premium PU leather, with different colours for outbound and inbound journeys. Coral will be used on flights departing India, while passengers arriving in the country will receive ruby-coloured kits.
The contents include Forest Essentials lip cream, ultra-rich body milk and perfume, along with socks, an eye mask, earplugs, a dental kit and a hair tie. As with First Class, the kit includes a card explaining the inspiration behind its design.
Air India says the products and presentation are intended to give the airline’s Business Class offering a more recognisably Indian identity. Whether that translates into a meaningful improvement for passengers will, of course, depend on the quality of the products and how well the kits are put together in practice. A wooden Ayurvedic massager is the unusual addition.
Air India’s new amenity kits for Business Class (image via Air India)
The most distinctive inclusion in the new collection is a handcrafted wooden Marma massager, which will be provided to passengers in both First and Business Class. The massager draws on the Ayurvedic practice of stimulating Marma points on the body. Air India says it is made entirely from natural wood and will be accompanied by a card explaining the tradition behind it.
It is an unusual choice for an airline amenity kit. Most carriers stick to the familiar combination of skincare, sleep accessories and dental essentials. Air India is trying to add something passengers might actually keep and use after the flight, rather than leaving behind when they disembark. Whether travellers find it useful is another matter, but the inclusion gives the kits a point of difference beyond the bag and its skincare products.
Premium Economy gets a refreshed amenity kit
Premium Economy passengers will also see a change, although their kit is more straightforward than the offerings in the two premium cabins above. The new kit comes in an Air India-branded bag designed to be reused after the journey. Inside are hand cream and lip balm from The Indian Apothecary, along with socks, an eye mask and a story card.
New loungewear inspired by Himachal Pradesh
Alongside the amenity kits, Air India is introducing redesigned loungewear for First and Business Class passengers. The new sets draw inspiration from Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu shawl-weaving tradition. The clothing uses subtle geometric patterns associated with the craft, incorporated into the placket and hem of a Henley-style top and echoed in the detailing on the bottoms. Rather than making the garments heavily decorative, the airline has opted for a relatively understated design.
Air India’s new loungewear (image via Air India)
The collection is gender-neutral and intended for comfort on long-haul flights. Each set comes in a dedicated carry bag with a card explaining the textile tradition behind the design.
Air India has also added an XXL size to the available range. The airline says the sets will be offered in four sizes, although it has not detailed the full sizing range in its announcement. The carpet slippers provided with the loungewear are also changing from grey to beige to match the new colour palette. The last set of pyjamas came from Tumi, until Air India outsourced the same design to Westside to make it for them without the Tumi logo.
When and who will get the new kits?
Air India says it will introduce the new amenity kits and loungewear from October 2026 (this month) on international flights lasting more than eight hours, as well as overnight flights lasting more than six hours. I last flew with the airline internationally at the beginning of the month on a narrowbody, so no dice for me on the new kits and pyjamas.
The rollout comes as Air India continues to work on the onboard experience across its international network. In recent days, the airline has also announced a new fine-dining offering for Business Class passengers on long-haul international flights. The amenity kits and loungewear are another part of that effort to give its premium cabins a more differentiated product.
The changes are welcome, particularly because they give the airline an opportunity to move beyond generic luxury branding and incorporate Indian design and craftsmanship into the passenger experience. But amenity kits are only one part of the equation. For passengers paying premium fares, the bigger test remains the complete journey: the seat, cabin condition, food, service, sleep quality and consistency across flights. A well-designed kit can add to that experience, but it cannot substitute for the fundamentals.
Bottomline
Air India’s new amenity kits and loungewear are a welcome refresh, and more Indian, with the use of Gond art, Kullu weaving and Forest Essentials products to give the onboard experience a distinctly Indian identity. The handcrafted Marma massager is an unusual addition that could make these kits more memorable than the usual assortment of travel essentials. However, amenity kits are the finishing touches, not the main event. For Air India, the real test remains delivering a consistently good experience across its premium cabins, from the seats and food to service and sleep quality.
What do you think of the new Air India amenity kits, starting to surface with the airline now?
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