New Delhi: Air India on Thursday announced its collaboration with acclaimed designer Manish Malhotra.

The celebrated designer, known for crafting attire for numerous Indian celebrity brides, will be creating fresh uniforms for more than 10,000 Air India frontline employees, including cabin and cockpit crew, as well as ground and security staff.

This developement is a significant aspect of Air India's contemporary global brand image as part of its ongoing modernisation initiative.

The airline anticipates implementing the new uniform look for its staff by the close of 2023.

Talking about designing the new uniform for Air India, Manish Malhotra said, "It’s an absolute honour to collaborate with Air India, our national flying ambassador. Reimagining their uniforms is the onset of a journey of joy and collaboration, and I am excited to embark on it.

He added, "Our shared ideology is simple yet profound: to evolve without erasing, to modernise without forgetting. Together, we aim to intertwine tradition with the future, crafting uniforms where comfort meets authenticity, wrapped in timeless elegance."

Manish Malhotra and his team have started interactions and fitting sessions with Air India's frontline staff to gain insights into their specific requirements.

According to an earlier report from Hindustan Times, sarees may not be entirely phased out from the uniform choices.

Instead, there are considerations for "ready-to-wear sarees" that mimic traditional ones, eliminating the need for intricate draping.

For the past six decades, the flight attendants in the carrier’s domestic and international flights have been wearing in sarees.

The transformation took place in 1962 when the late JRD Tata decided to transition from skirts, jackets, and hats.

An insider informed HT that the new uniforms will be in harmony with Air India's colour scheme, featuring hues of deep red, aubergine, and gold.