Airline Suspends Crew After Bollywood Star Sings on Intercom

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Sonu Nigam is famous for his voice, but his talent landed airline crew members in hot water. (Photo: Getty Images)

One airline is taking a stance over what they consider to be in-flight entertainment.

Jet Airways has suspended five cabin crew for letting a famous Bollywood star serenade other passengers on the intercom.

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

The incident happened on Jan.4, when Sonu Nigam, one of India’s highest-paid singers, jumped on the intercom on a flight Jodhpur to Mumbai. While he crooned, passengers snapped photos and captured video which they posted on social media. It went viral.

Government officials at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation then conducted an investigation to see if any rules were broken during the stunt. After a month, government officials alerted the airline that cabin crew had violated regulations and misused the in-flight announcement system.

After the cabin crew were grounded, social media exploded in India, with many people angered over the airline’s decision to punish the cabin crew.

“Boozing on a flight is okay but Sonu Nigam singing a couple of songs to his fellow passengers is a security threat? Ironies!,” Roflindian tweeted.

Even Nigam voiced is disappointment.

“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,” he told the Times of India.

In 2014, cabin crew on Spic Jet Airlines were suspended after video surfaced of them dancing in the aisle, mid-flight, in celebration of the Hindu festival Holi.

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