Mangaluru: Passengers onboard a recent IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Mangaluru were in for a sweet surprise when a pilot made the pre-flight announcement in Tulu language before takeoff. As the passengers settled down in their seats and prepared for take-off, the first officer of the flight surprised them by addressing them in Tulu! Notably, the language is spoken mainly in Dakshin Kannada area of Karnataka. - Viral Video: Pilot Spots Suspected UFOs Flying Over Pacific Ocean, People Say 'Aliens Are Finally Here' | Watch

The incident happened on December 24 onboard flight no. 6E 6051. The flight was on its way from Mumbai to Mangaluru when First Officer, Pradeep Padmashali, welcomed all the passengers onboard in Tulu and wished them a comfortable journey during the trip. He then switched to English and also informed the passengers that it was his mother tongue ‘Tulu’, which was spoken in Dakshina Kannada.

“E vimana Mumbaiyidd, pidard sari sumaru onji gante aiyeen mimisha prayana malpuna andaj undu. Daya malth matherla araamodu ithhd vimana prayanada kushin anubhavisale pand enklena aase. Ini enklena ottige prayana malpere manas malthinek nikuleg matheregla enkulena udal dinjidi solmelu,” first officer Pradeep Padmashali announced in Tulu.



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The video has gone viral and the pilot is being praised for speaking in his regional language, at a time when announcements are done only in English and Hindi. One user wrote, ”Love to hear our regional languages of the states it was a wonderful gesture keep up the good work.”



An Indigo spokesperson confirmed the incident and told The New Indian Express, “Pilot Pradeep Padmashali is a native of Mangaluru. Indigo is taking regular steps to connect with its flyers and using regional languages is just one of such initiatives.  Last month, one of our pilots used Bhojpuri on board and it was received very well. Such gestures are really accepted very well by the public.”