Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam has slammed the suspension of five air hostesses by Jet Airways for allowing the singer to use the flight intercom. Terming the step as "real intolerance," Nigam said that punishing the crew members for something like this doesn't make sense.
"This act of lack of Common Sense, according to me, is Real Intolerance. I have witnessed an elaborate fashion show in an aircraft. I have heard of small concerts happening in an aircraft. I have seen Pilots and Crew Members cracking humorous jokes to loosen up passengers in other countries, which is so cool," Nigam told International Business Times, India via text message.
"To suspend crew members for asking me to sing on the address system, when the seat belt signs were off, and no announcements were to be made, is nothing less than punishing someone for spreading happiness."
The incident took place on 4 January when he was flying back to Mumbai from Jodhpur. The video of Nigam singing on the flight went viral, which he later shared on social media. While social media users found the video quite interesting, the air hostesses are now taking a hit for letting the singer use the flight intercom and facing suspension for the same.
"It is a temporary suspension, as the enquiry process is still on. The crew members will be given corrective training during their suspension period and once it gets over they will be back on duty," Manish Kalghatgi, Vice-President, Jet Airways, told IBTimes India in a statement.
Sonu crooned the songs "Panchi Nadiyaan Pavan Ke Jhoke" from the film "Refugee" and "Do Pal" from "Veer-Zara". His impromptu performance surprised the passengers, who later joined in the fun. Sonu also appreciated one of the passengers who was singing along with him saying, "Arey waah aap bhi gaate hain! Oh my God, saare singers hain!"
This is not the first time that Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken such serious measures against airline brands. Two years ago, another airline landed in trouble when a video of its crew dancing mid-air to the song "Balam Pichkari" went viral.
In 2012, a European airline faced problems when a video of the crew dancing to "Om Shanti Om" song during Republic Day surfaced online.
