Akasa Air partners with luggage startup uppercase, rolls out eco-friendly gear for cabin crew

Akasa Air has partnered with the homegrown brand uppercase to introduce a new line of sustainable, custom-designed cabin luggage for its cabin crew. The collaboration is part of the airline’s broader employee-first strategy and comes as the Indian luggage market sees increased interest from both investors and new-age challengers.

The travel gear—a cabin stroller and tote bag—has been co-created over four months, with direct inputs from Akasa’s crew. The final design includes features such as a recycled hard-shell body in the airline’s colours, TSA-approved locks, smooth dual wheels, and compartments tailored for crew-specific use, such as shoes, toiletries, and paperwork.

“This wasn’t just a sourcing project,” said Belson Coutinho, co-founder and COO of Akasa Air. “It stemmed from consistent crew feedback on functionality, durability, and convenience. The result is a product made with the crew, for the crew.”

For uppercase, a relatively young player in a market still dominated by legacy brands such as VIP Industries and Samsonite, the partnership offers validation of its design- and sustainability-led positioning. “We’re 100% committed to using recycled materials across all products,” said Sudip Ghose, founder and MD of uppercase. “What made this collaboration work is that both companies are aligned on values: people-first, planet-friendly, and design-forward.”

The cabin luggage will be rolled out to Akasa’s crew starting this month. Executives from both companies hinted at potential extensions into consumer-facing products, although further details are not known.

The move comes at a time when Akasa Air, which will complete three years of operations in August, is expanding internationally and growing its fleet. Coutinho said sustainability is a “core pillar,” reflected not just in uniforms and packaging, but also in decisions like this gear upgrade.

For uppercase, the collaboration with Akasa adds a B2B dimension to its largely D2C- and retail-focussed model.

While Ghose declined to comment directly on the recent stake sale in VIP Industries, he said the development signals renewed investor interest in a category that has long been under the radar. “More competition will only sharpen the game. The travel gear segment is finally getting its due,” he said.

With both brands betting on product innovation and conscious design, the Akasa-uppercase collaboration could set a precedent for how airlines approach functional upgrades, not just for customers, but for the people who fly with them every day.