Kannada announcement in Bengaluru-Munich's Lufthansa flight impresses passenger, sparks a debate on internet

The Kannada Sahitya Parishat, urged Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) to make flight announcements in Kannada mandatory across all airlines.

A passenger travelling from Bengaluru to Germany’s Munich highlighted the use of Kannada on a Lufthansa flight during the announcement. While most Indian airlines choose only Hindi and English while making the flight announcement, the passenger called the international airline’s effort to respect the local language is commendable.

The Bengaluru passenger's X post went viral on social media and once again sparked a language debate.

Take a look at the post

The passenger's X post went viral on social media and once again sparked a language debate. A passenger called Prasanna took to X and wrote, “Credit to @lufthansa for having the pre-takeoff passenger announcement made in Kannada as well, in the BLR-MUC flight.”

The post received many responses lauding the international airlines for their inclusivity. One user said that all the official languages in India must also be treated equally instead of imposed. Another said, “They did it many years ago. This is what happens when a union works like @EUCouncil @EU_Commission @Europarl_EN, where all languages are treated equally. The good policies are carried over in all sectors.”

Another user tagged Indian Airlines and wrote, “Learn from foreign airlines company @lufthansa. How they announce in Kannada & displaying Kannada words from this customer can satisfy airlines please bring announcements in Kannada.”

The Kannada Sahitya Parishat, a language-based organisation, urged Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) to make flight announcements in Kannada, including on international flights.

KSP chairman Mahesh Joshi asked the authorities to prioritise Kannada in Bengaluru airport. He earlier said, “I told them (BIAL) to prioritise the Kannada language on all signboards, keeping it on the top, followed by other languages. They swiftly responded to the request and said that they would put all efforts into promoting the Kannada language.”

Joshi also said that he would write to the civil aviation ministry regarding this. “Some permissions have to be granted by the civil aviation ministry and I will personally write to them, requesting the promotion of Kannada language in Bengaluru airport. The moment international passengers land in Bengaluru, He/she should be welcomed with local culture,” he added.