06-05-2025
Air France Impresses Bengaluru Flyers With In-flight Announcement In Kannada
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He also thanked the airline for recognising one of the oldest regional languages of the Indian Union and upholding diversity.
An Air France passenger on a flight from Paris expressed his surprise after hearing in-flight announcements in his regional language, Kannada, alongside French and English. The passenger, Sangam Manjunath, who was travelling to Bengaluru, took to social media and praised the international airlines' efforts to make Kannada announcements.
Ever since the post was shared, it has quickly drawn attention and garnered considerable praise. This sparked a discussion online around linguistic representation in air travel.
Sharing a short clip of the announcement on X (formerly Twitter), the passenger wrote, 'I recently travelled with Air France from Paris to Bengaluru! To my surprise, they made announcements in Kannada, French, and English when we boarded in Paris! Such a warm welcome before I reached home."
He further thanked the airline for upholding diversity and recognising one of the oldest regional languages of the Indian Union.
I recently traveled with Air France (@airfrance) from Paris to Bengaluru! To my surprise, they made announcements in Kannada, French, and English when we boarded in Paris! Such a warm welcome before I reached home! Thank you, Air France, for recognizing one of the oldest… — Sangam (@SangamManjunath) May 5, 2025
The post quickly gained traction online, prompting a flurry of reactions from several users. While some appreciated the airline's move, a debate about using language in Indian aviation also started.
Another commented, 'It is common sense to know international airlines do announcements in the specific regional language while touching down at that specific location in India. No need to insert 'language pride" into every matter."
'@airindia @AirIndiaX. Shame on you! I have been flying internationally for nearly 30 years, and never once have I used the Kannada language anywhere! You are among the enemies of Kannadigas!" criticised a user.
An individual said, 'International airlines respect the languages of paying customers. Cathay Pacific announced greetings/safety messages on a flight to Chennai from Hong Kong – in Tamil. Served South Indian food. Meanwhile Indigo only has Hindi for flights within TN."
It is worth noting that Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has added a Kannada language option to its official website recently to improve accessibility and connect better with the people of Karnataka.
In a press release, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) announced that the new feature will make it easier and more comfortable for passengers to access airport services in their native language. 'We are pleased to introduce a Kannada version of our website that aims to create a more inclusive and accessible experience, ensuring our customers access all necessary information in their preferred language," said Managing Director and CEO of BIAL Hari Marar.
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