Mumbai: Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates and official front-of-jersey sponsor of Chennai Super Kings, has launched a series of immersive fan activations across Chennai, extending the excitement of cricket beyond the stadium during the IPL season.
The campaign, held from 16 to 18 May, was designed to celebrate Chennai’s passion for cricket through city-wide experiences, interactive contests, branded transport activations and rewards linked to Etihad Guest, the airline’s loyalty programme.
As part of the initiative, Etihad Airways introduced two major experiences — ‘The Golden Rickshaws’ and ‘Wickets of the World’ — showcasing the airline’s expanding international network while engaging cricket fans across the city.
Under ‘The Golden Rickshaws’ campaign, specially branded auto-rickshaws themed in Chennai Super Kings’ blue and yellow colours alongside Etihad’s iconic gold branding offered complimentary rides to fans across Chennai. Users could unlock the rides by signing up for Etihad Guest through QR codes, while matchday passengers travelling to and from the stadium also received exclusive merchandise and giveaways.
Meanwhile, ‘Wickets of the World’ transformed public spaces into interactive cricket zones inspired by global travel destinations. Fans participated in cricket-based challenges themed around cities such as New York, Charlotte, Nice and Prague, giving them opportunities to win prizes while exploring destinations from Etihad’s international route network.
Commenting on the initiative, , Managing Director, Etihad Guest, said, “India continues to be one of Etihad’s most important markets, and cricket remains a powerful way to connect with communities and travellers across the country. Through these activations, we wanted to create experiences that bring fans closer to the excitement of the game while inspiring them to fly to Etihad’s growing network of destinations and introducing fans to the world of Etihad Guest in an engaging and rewarding way. Chennai’s incredible passion for cricket makes it the perfect city for these celebrations.”
The airline also used the campaign to spotlight its summer travel offerings, promoting destinations including Palma De Mallorca, Krakow, Mykonos, Santorini and Nice.
To further engage travellers during the campaign period, Etihad Airways introduced a special promotional code ‘EYCSK10’, offering up to 10 per cent discount on flights to 22 destinations across Europe and North America for bookings made by 18 May and travel between 25 May and 31 October.
With operations from Chennai and 10 other Indian cities, the airline continues to strengthen connectivity between India and Abu Dhabi, while offering onward connections to destinations across the Middle East, Europe, Africa and North America.
Through the campaign, Etihad Airways aims to deepen fan engagement by blending cricket, travel and experiential marketing, while celebrating Chennai’s vibrant sporting culture.
