While 30 of his 787-trained colleagues will go back to flying other Air India aircraft, Capt Anjum Chabra won’t

 Aditya Anand, Mumbai Mirror , March 7, 2013

Posted On Thursday, March 07, 2013 at 09:41:04 AM

Air India pilot who uploaded a rap video of himself on YouTube will remain suspended while 30 of his colleagues, who were also trained to fly the airline’s now-grounded Dreamliner fleet, will go back to flying other aircraft after a gap of almost two months.

Air India has said that the 30 pilots can go back to flying other aircraft, such as the Airbus 320 and 321, and Boeing 777, which they flew before the Dreamliners was inducted. However, Captain Anjum Chabra, who uploaded the rap video in which he criticised the airline and its staff, is not among them.

“Chabra does not figure among these pilots. He has not been given any flights right now, though a suspension is technically not punishment,” said a senior pilot from the Indian Commercial Pilots Association.

Chabra, a first officer with Air India’s now-grounded Dreamliner fleet, was served a gag order and warned that he could be suspended during a meeting with Rohit Nandan, Air India‘s chairman and managing director, last week.

“We have asked the general manager of the north region to look into the matter and take action if needed,” Nandan told Mumbai Mirror yesterday.

Late last week, Chabra responded to the airline’s show cause notice over his rap video with an apology. “I did not mean to insult anyone or demean the company. I did it as a hobby without any wrong intention,” Chabra’s letter to Nandan reads.

Now, his colleagues are keenly waiting April, when it will become clear if the airline will pay Chabra his protected 72-hour allowance. “Under an agreement between ICPA and the airline, even if a pilot does not fly, he will be given 72 hours worth of flying allowance ($100 an hour). It remains to be seen if Chabra will get his dues,” asenior pilot said.

While Chabra refused to speak about the latest developments, pilots in the know said that he had writen to YouTube to withdraw the video, but without success. The video has received close to 17 lakh views so far.

On February 13, Chabra posted a five-minute rap video on YouTube, criticising the management for not giving him alternative flights and delaying his salary. He also took a dig at the pilots’ union.

 The air india rap song by capt Anjum Chabra 

What do I say to people, what kind of a pilot I am

who sits at home most of the time and never gets to fly

It’s been over 5 months since I haven’t got paid

time and time, again and again, I have been betrayed

ain’t no flight for me here, ain’t no Singapore

ain’t no casino for me, so there is money no more

what do i do man, where do I go

I am so sick at home that I feel so low

where is the union, have they fallen sick?

happy with no money, or is this some kind of a prick

why show too much patience, why are they f***in quiet

why don’t they f***in get up, why don’t they f***in fight

I work with Air India as you all know

I am working in Air India, in India, but not in the air

Is there anyone here who has got extra money to spare

They don’t give me leave, they don’t give me NOC

Please tell them it’s not air force, I ain’t at LOC

How the f**k man, why you guys are keeping quiet

How you guys are running home, do you have another

business by your side

I am filing bankruptcy and I am getting broke

I am finished with all my money and lost all hope

Why don’t we punish those who f***ed up my airline

Cause of them I got no money, I got no fu**in wine

People work here for their lifetime, they never retire

See old faces everyday gets my a** on fire

How do I fly with women in their 60’ies

They call them airhostess’ we call them aunties

So let us all get let us all fight

Big guys are killing us they are taking all our rights

I don’t wanna sit at home n I wanna f**ing fly

If I don’t touch my stick soon I’m gonna die

I work with Air India as you know, they give me no money,

so got no place to go

Change the f***ing system …

Fight for it

Get me out of this s**t

I work for Air India and call myself a maharaja, but maharaja

is getting f***ed with all the band bajaa

When I joined my company it made me fell so proud

I used to say it all and I used to say it loud

Now when my folks look at me they give me sympathy

I hate goin out in public I hate publicity

The news is everywhere that the airline is in a mess

I hate to listen to that news I hate the bulls**t press

Coz everyone knows pilots of my airline have done a

good job

It’s few people at the top who’s f**ed us up and robbed

I just wanna say the truth for once now

I still believe we I get out of this mess somehow

I am he lucky one in the airline do you know f***ing how

Coz I get all the time to make music now

Coz I am on dreamliners it made my dream come true

I get to ride this beauty I am one of those lucky few

I am gonna serve you, Air India, this aint a lie

Coz I hope to see you out of this mess before I die

I work with Air India as you know………..

Love my company there is nowhere else I can go

I am on dreamliners as you have known

It is he best aircraft I have ever flown

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pQklE-2mHtU]