Jet’s ‘real intolerance’, suspends 5 of crew

New Delhi, February 5

Jet Airways today said it had suspended five cabin crew members for allowing singer Sonu Nigam to use the public address system on a chartered flight to belt out Bollywood numbers. The singer said airline’s action smacked of “real intolerance”.

The Bollywood fraternity and social media reacted with outrage to the punishment handed out by the private airline following an order by aviation regulator DGCA, but the Civil Aviation Ministry justified the action.

The incident occurred on a chartered flight from Jodhpur to Mumbai on January 4, when the “errant” crew members allowed Nigam (42) to hold a sort of musical concert on board following a request from fellow passengers, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) sources said.

The matter came to DGCA’s notice after a video of Nigam singing on board the flight went viral on social media.

Action has been initiated against the crew since allowing a passenger to use the public address system on board a flight amounts to violation of safety norms, the sources said.

“All cabin crew on the flight have been taken off flight duty for inquiry and corrective training to reinforce strict adherence to operating procedures,” the airways said in a statement.

The DGCA has summoned Jet Airways officials on February 10 over the issue. However, a Jet Airways spokesperson said he was not aware of it.

Nigam called the action against the cabin crew “utter nonsense”. “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 cracking humorous jokes to loosen up passengers in other countries, which is so cool,” Sonu told an agency.

“To suspend crew for asking me to sing on the (public) 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.

“Pity there’s no one to question such harshness except the media perhaps. Indians need to loosen up. This act of lack of common sense, according to me, is real intolerance,” Nigam said in a statement.

Under the procedures, the public address (PA) system of a flight is required to be used only under certain conditions, a senior DGCA official said, adding in this case, “the system was used for song which is violation of procedures”.

“Besides, the forward galley was unattended and a number of passengers were standing in the aisle area,” the official said, adding “since the aircraft was descending, (standing) passengers could have been hurt in case of turbulence”.

The official also pointed out that both commander and his deputy were also not informed of the activity inside the cabin and the “act of cabin crew was not as per requirements”. — Agencies

Bq

‘Loosen up, India’

“Pity there’s no one to question such harshness except the media perhaps. Indians need to loosen up. This act of lack of common sense, according to me, is real intolerance”

— Sonu Nigam, singer