SpiceJet faces licence suspension after mid-air Holi festival Bollywood dance routine posted on YouTube

INDIAN budget airline SpiceJet has run into trouble with the aviation regulator over its crew’s mid-air song and dance.

INDIAN budget airline SpiceJet says it has run into trouble with the aviation regulator for performing a mid-air song and dance sequence to celebrate the popular Hindu festival of Holi.

Cabin crew on five SpiceJet flights across India performed a two-a half-minute dance routine to a popular Bollywood song to entertain passengers on Monday for Holi, the annual festival of colours, which marks the start of spring.

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But the Director General of Civil Aviation was not amused, slapping a notice on the airline on Thursday, which now reportedly faces a suspension of its licence after some passengers filmed the dance and uploaded it online.

The airline has suspended a co-pilot who was seen in one of the videos outside the cockpit, filming the event himself on his smartphone.

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An airline spokeswoman said the plane was never in danger, with at least one pilot and a crew member staying in the cockpit at all times during the dance sequence.

“The DGCA has said that the dance could have created an unruly environment on the aircraft,” said the spokeswoman, who did not want to be named.

“Crew are in any case trained to handle unruly passengers,” she added.

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The airline said around 30 SpiceJet crew members were trained for the dance sequence by a professional choreographer.

Millions of Indian revellers across the country celebrate the festival of Holi by splashing coloured water and powder on each other.