Indian airline grounds crew for allowing Bollywood singer to make in-flight performance

India's Jet Airways Friday grounded five of its crew members for allowing a Bollywood singer, Sonu Nigam, to use the in-flight announcement system to sing songs.

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

The crew members on Jodhpur-Mumbai flight last month let Nigam to use its in-flight announcement system to sing songs reportedly on requests of passengers.

The video of Nigam's on-board performance filmed by passengers went viral on social media and prompted sharp criticism for violating safety norms.

The airline's action came in wake of the strong note taken by India's aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which described the performance as violation of safety norms and asked the airline to take action.

Nigam criticised the decision of the airline and termed the grounding of crew as "intolerance".

In an interview to a local newspaper, The Times of India, Nigam said he had witnessed an elaborate fashion show in an aircraft and had heard of small concerts in aircraft as well.

Jet Airways is India's second largest airline carrier of passengers.

In 2014, Spice Jet, another private airline, suspended crew members after a video went viral, showing the staff dancing in mid-flight to celebrate the Hindu festival Holi. Endit