NEW DELHI: “Is udaan mein aapka swagat hai”. Each time GoAir’s Captain Behzad Rajabi greets passengers with this line, they are pleasantly shocked. What follows the closely accented welcoming line makes issues clear. “Main is udaan ka Captain Rajabi bol raha hoon.” By now passengers know the Airbus A-320 they are flying in is being piloted by way of an expat pilot.
While the German-origin American national is one of the 290 expat pilots operating with Indian carriers, he is a rarity relating to learning the native language and addressing passengers in it. “As an expat when you come here with a closed mind and take a look at to modify Indians to the place you're from, then excellent luck to you. The English came and see what came about. But when you change yourself; see, accept and respect them (Indians) the best way they are, you're authorized as one of them and treated as their visitor,” Rajabi, in his late 40s, said.
Passengers seem to be loving this. “Best pilot I have ever met. Firangi welcoming in Hindi!” Tweeted Shrinivas Devshatwar from his deal with @srdevshatwar who just lately flew Bangalore to Hyderabad.
Rajabi has been flying with GoAir for 4.5 years. He flies for 12 weeks at a stretch after which will get four weeks off to return home to his folks in the United States. “ I don't shy from talking in that language regardless of how unhealthy the grammar is or the way it sounds. I attempt to speak some sentences within the native language with my colleagues, passengers and others I have interaction with,” he said. Asked if GoAir asked him to pick out up a couple of traces in Hindi, he said he did so on his personal. He has been flying for 27 years.
While the German-origin American national is one of the 290 expat pilots operating with Indian carriers, he is a rarity relating to learning the native language and addressing passengers in it. “As an expat when you come here with a closed mind and take a look at to modify Indians to the place you're from, then excellent luck to you. The English came and see what came about. But when you change yourself; see, accept and respect them (Indians) the best way they are, you're authorized as one of them and treated as their visitor,” Rajabi, in his late 40s, said.
Passengers seem to be loving this. “Best pilot I have ever met. Firangi welcoming in Hindi!” Tweeted Shrinivas Devshatwar from his deal with @srdevshatwar who just lately flew Bangalore to Hyderabad.
Rajabi has been flying with GoAir for 4.5 years. He flies for 12 weeks at a stretch after which will get four weeks off to return home to his folks in the United States. “ I don't shy from talking in that language regardless of how unhealthy the grammar is or the way it sounds. I attempt to speak some sentences within the native language with my colleagues, passengers and others I have interaction with,” he said. Asked if GoAir asked him to pick out up a couple of traces in Hindi, he said he did so on his personal. He has been flying for 27 years.
Expat pilot winning desi hearts in flight with announcements in Hindi
![Expat pilot winning desi hearts in flight with announcements in Hindi]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
September 16, 2018
Rating:
