Indian passenger, 47, pens note thanking SIA crew after news of molest case, apologises on behalf of community

An Indian national living in Singapore decided to thank the crew of a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight after reading about a recent molestation case involving an Indian passenger.

He also apologised on behalf of the Indian community.

Sharad Govil, 47, told Mothership he felt compelled to thank the crew while travelling on SIA flight SQ508 from Singapore to Bengaluru with his wife on Jul. 3.

His gesture comes after an Indian national was sentenced to six months' jail for molesting a Singapore Airlines flight attendant during a flight on Feb. 9.

Handwritten note

Sharad told Mothership that he had taken the card from home and decided to pen his gratitude after the meal service during the flight.

In a Facebook post, he said that as Indians and long-time SIA passengers, he and his wife felt it was important to say that the case did not represent their community or the "deep respect and admiration" they have for the airline and its crew.

"Singapore Airlines (SQ) has been part of our life for years. Its crew have looked after us on more journeys than we can count, always with warmth and grace. So we wrote a short note thanking them for their exceptional service, and offering an apology on behalf of our country for an incident that saddened and angered every decent human being," he wrote in the post.

In the letter, Sharad penned: "We were deeply saddened by recent news of misconduct by a passenger from my country — India."

He added that he respects and values the SIA crew and their "excellent service", continuing that "the actions of some of those do not represent us".

Sharad, who is an audiologist at Amazing Hearing, first came to Singapore in 2003 and is now a Permanent Resident (PR).

Crew was moved

Sharad said he did not expect the crew to be so moved by the gesture.

"Each crew member individually came and thanked us, the crew in charge gathered the whole team, and we took a photo together," he wrote.

"To the crew of SQ508, and to every SIA crew that has ever welcomed us aboard, thank you. For your care, your professionalism, and for making every journey feel like coming home, be it Singapore or India."