Akasa Air puts ground crew in the spotlight

Akasa Air launched Airport Stars Day, a first-of-its-kind initiative to recognise and celebrate the contribution of its ground services teams, including airport operations, security, cabin appearance, and cargo. This will be an annual initiative dedicated to recognising and celebrating the contribution of airport services teams across the country, underscoring its commitment to employee centricity and a people-first culture.

Airport teams are the backbone of aviation, working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure smooth and seamless journeys for millions of passengers every year. From being the first reassurance to travellers at the airport to keeping operations running safely and efficiently from the ramp to the runway, they move everything forward with precision, care, and passion. Their day begins well before the first flight takes off and continues until the last journey concludes, making them the invisible force that powers every successful flight.

Behind the scenes, airport teams perform countless tasks with precision and care, from coordinating ground operations, baggage handling, safety checks, and passenger assistance to ensuring smooth turnarounds that keep flights running on time. While these efforts may not always be visible, they are central to Akasa Experience, ensuring that every journey is safe, efficient, and pleasant.

Through this initiative, Akasa Air is building its own tradition of honouring the people who make air travel possible, not only acknowledging their operational excellence but also their passion, empathy, and service excellence mindset.

At the heart of Akasa Air’s philosophy is the belief that operational excellence directly translates into service excellence. Airport Stars Day is not only a tribute to the past and present contributions of airport staff, but also a commitment to nurturing a culture of appreciation for the future. By creating meaningful occasions to celebrate its people, Akasa Air reinforces its position as India’s most employee-centric airline that believes true success is built on the passion and dedication of its teams, both in the air and on the ground.

Campaign’s take: Airline advertising usually has its head in the clouds—quite literally. From megastar endorsements to glossy shots of aircraft interiors, campaigns often skip over the people who keep the whole system moving on the ground.

Akasa Air’s latest initiative, Airport Stars Day, chooses to focus its lens on the unsung faces of aviation: the baggage handlers, security staff, ramp workers and ground personnel whose shifts start before the first boarding call. The minute-long film trades celebrity wattage for workaday realism.

It shows teams coordinating turnarounds, lifting luggage and prepping aircraft with a rhythm as steady as the departure board. The creative idea works because it addresses the blind spot in airline marketing—operations staff are usually invisible until something goes wrong. By reframing them as the ‘first hello’ and ‘first reassurance’ of the travel experience, the campaign underscores their role in both brand trust and passenger comfort.

For Akasa, the move serves as a cultural marker as much as a marketing play. Instead of overpromising sky-high luxury, it roots the narrative in the everyday grind that makes air travel seamless. In doing so, it positions the ground crew not as background noise but as the real supporting cast of aviation.