Social Media Fumes Over Suspension Of Pilot-Youtuber Gaurav Taneja, 'Boycott AirAsia' Trends On Twitter, DGCA Initiates Probe

Gaurav Taneja was an Airbus A320 captain with AirAsia India. In his vlog posted on June 14, he alleged the airline of violating several safety protocols and endangering the lives of passengers on board.

Source: Instagram

New Delhi: Gaurav Taneja, an AirAsia pilot, Vlogger, a digital influencer has been suspended from the airlines after pointing out safety violations by the low-cost airliner. Taneja took to twitter and expressed that the reason for his suspension involved taking a stand for the safety of the passengers. His tweet garnered a huge response and a day later on Monday, he posted a detailed video on YouTube titled "Reasons behind suspension from my pilot job."The video went viral and #BoycottAirAsia started trending on twitter to support the AirAsia Captain.

Today I have been officially suspended from @AirAsiaIndian for standing up for safe operations of an aircraft and its passengers.@AwakenIndia #SabkeLiye

— Gaurav Taneja (@flyingbeast320) June 14, 2020

The pilot's tweets led to #BoycottAirAsiaIndia trending on Twitter with about 26,000 tweets on Monday afternoon. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated a probe into AirAsia India after Taneja accused AirAsia India, a joint venture between AirAsia Berhad (49%) and Tata Sons (51%), of violating safety protocols, which endangered lives of passengers on board.

Reasons listed by Taneja in the youtube video for his suspension:

1. Taneja alleged that the airlines suspended him for "standing up for safe operations of an aircraft and its passengers."
2. His main allegation about the company is that AirAsia India does not allow the employees to take sick leaves.
3. He said the airline management had asked him to work during his off day on 9 June as he had taken a sick leave on 7 June. “When I started protesting against this, the chief of flight safety said in an email that I report sick and fatigue frequently.”
4. Taneja further said that he was also suggested to undergo lifestyle and medical counseling
5. “Sick or fatigue report is a non-punitive policy, which is documented by the regulator. This is not followed at the airline," he added.
6. Regarding the safety of the passengers, Taneja alleged that the airline has asked its pilot to do 98 percent of landings in the "Flap 3" mode, which allows it to save fuel. If a pilot does not do 98 percent of landings in the "Flap 3" mode, the airline considers it a violation of its standard operation procedure.
7. Taneja further explains that ‘Flap 3’ landing is unsafe for passengers but the airlines do not pay heed to this.
8. If something happens during a Flap 3 landing, then the question would be asked to the pilot if he or she cares more about saving fuel or 180 passengers' lives, Taneja said.

(Flaps are part of wings of an aircraft and they are engaged to create drag during a landing or a take-off)

Vloggers Stand with Gaurav Taneja

Not only his followers but various Vloggers have come out in support of Gaurab Taneja and are criticising the airlines for suspending the Air Asia Captain. Youtuber Nikhil Sharma wrote on twitter,"Captain in charge is responsible for the safety and operation of his aircraft during the flight. Standing against a giant like Air Asia he proves he is a brave and amazing captain. Hats off to Gaurav taneja @flyingbeast320for standing against something he believes is wrong".

Great to see you taking stand bhai..It's really shocking to hear the dark inside story..Stay strong as always???? https://t.co/t7biWEYwJa

— Gaurav Chaudhary (@TechnicalGuruji) June 15, 2020

Who is Gaurav Taneja?

Taneja is not a person who grabbed attention with his suspension and the following video but he is a social media influencer with millions of followers. Apart from being an Air Asia pilot Gaurav Taneja is also a fitness blogger and a digital influencer. Taneja posted the video on his youtube channel called ‘Flying Beast’ has over 2.92 million subscribers. His digital footprint is quite noticeable as his Twitter and Instagram accounts have over 225,000 and 967,000 followers, respectively. Taneja also runs another youtube channel which is a fitness channel, where he provides tips and guidance for people who like bodybuilding and gym. Taneja is married to Capt Ritu Rathee who is also an AirAsia Pilot. Also watch|Monsoon strikes Maharashtra with heavy rainfall