IndiGo pilot’s mid-flight surprise for daughter earns him ‘coolest Gen alpha dad’ tag

What began as a routine safety briefing on an IndiGo flight soon turned into a moment passengers are unlikely to forget. Midway through the announcement, the pilot swapped standard aviation protocol for something far more personal — a surprise shout-out to his daughter, who was travelling on the same flight with her schoolmates.

The pilot, Gurdish Singh, was operating a Mumbai–Nagpur flight when he revealed that his “little princess” was onboard as part of a Class 6 school trip. What followed was an unexpected blend of affection, humour and Gen Alpha slang that left passengers smiling.

After acknowledging the teachers and support staff accompanying the children, Singh shifted gears, delivering a playful, youth-coded message tailored for his daughter and her classmates. From encouraging them to “grab snacks and vibe” at 36,000 feet to promising “lit views” outside the window, the announcement transformed the cabin atmosphere into one of collective delight.

The final line sealed the moment — a gentle reminder to one of the children to behave, because “your dad’s flying this plane.”

Singh later shared the video on Instagram, writing that his most special passengers that day were his daughter and her classmates.

Watch the viral video here:

The clip has since gone viral, with social media users dubbing him the “coolest dad in the skies” and praising the rare, heartfelt intersection of professional duty and parenthood.

A user wrote, “The coolest Gen alpha Dad!”

Another user wrote on Instagram, “I can see all passengers are happy listening to you.”

The third user wrote, “You’re amazing for doing this CAPTAIN !”

“Amazing, hope all angels have father like him , also sons have father like him,” the third user commented.

“DGCA approved,” the fourth wrote.

“I can see all passengers are happy listening to you,” the fifth wrote.

Meanwhile, another pilot’s heartfelt message from December has also struck a chord online. In a video shared on social media, Pradeep Krishnan is seen addressing passengers with an unusually candid and empathetic appeal, acknowledging the frustration caused by flight delays and disruptions.

In the clip, Krishnan apologises to flyers who may have missed important commitments, stressing that delays are not intentional. He reassures passengers that pilots and crew are doing everything possible under difficult circumstances, adding that airline staff, too, are eager to return home after long, taxing days.

Referring to recent disruptions, Krishnan says his heart goes out to travellers who were left stranded or inconvenienced. He recalls his own delayed flight into Coimbatore and notes that while emotions have been running high across airports, the passengers on his flight remained calm, patient and supportive — something he said deeply moved him.

Calling it a challenging phase for the aviation sector, the pilot expressed confidence that the situation would stabilise soon. He ended his message with a simple but urgent request: for passengers to show kindness towards ground staff, who he said are working under immense pressure to help people reach home safely.

The video has since been widely shared, with many users praising the pilot’s honesty and compassion at a time when tempers have been flaring across airports.