It was just a usual Air India domestic flight on 21-May-2013 taking off from Ahmadabad. As Passengers settled down, AI-818 took off normally. As soon as seat belt signs were taken off, suddenly people in the front started getting up and walking to first raw. There was some flurry of activity. The people at back thought some bollywood celebrity might have boarded flight. But why would such celebrity take normal Air-India flight was still a puzzle.

Normally “Pleasant experience” and Air India are considered oxymoron. Not today, all the passengers were wearing big broad smile as they disembarked. As soon as they got down, all of them were busy sending their pics from mobile or calling frantically to friends and relatives to share their in-flight experience.

So here is what exactly happened.

Narendra Modi took this flight as common passenger to attend BJP central parliamentary board meeting. The initial euphoria of front benchers had spillover effect on the people in the back. In spite of warnings by Air Crew, people were rushing to go to meet, greet and importantly take picture with the Charismatic CM.

Air crew got alarmed that if everyone came in front, there could be problem in flight balance. This prompted Gujarat CM to get up and he calmed everyone that they may sit down and that he will come to them. Rest was history or a life changing experience for the passengers. As if a festive mood took over the plane.

In picture:Festive mood on AI-818 on 21-May-2013

Not only CM went to everyone, he let them take as many pictures as possible gladly, making them feel, he has all the time in the world for them. He shared laugh, greetings and chatted with almost everyone. The gentleman in picture Alibhai GulamHusain Contractor, a businessman who was on this flight for vacation could not believe his luck and greeted CM with all warmth. His daughter Hafeza took this picture. Her Friend Anushree could not stop talking about the experience. She was all the way on Social Media sharing her experiences.

What touched most of the people was that he was travelling in no frill economy class and that he had all the humility in the world to come to meet common people. May be this was the rare AirIndia flight where people wanted to stay in as long as they can stay. The experience of pleasant meeting with CM, touched the life of 180 odd passengers and multiplied many times as they shared it with their family and friends.

Picture courtsey Hafeza and Anushree which went viral on Social Media

In the age of social media the “comments”, “likes” on FaceBook make the experience of one person shared by many. When I got 1st picture and I posted it on Twitter, in no time it went viral on social media. I am new to Twitter so seeing a single tweet cross 100 Retweets was new record for me. Later I realized that more than my tweet the picture shared by Hafeza was moving on Social Media like wild-fire. All based on people’s volunteer efforts. Many people started comparing trips by our other prominent leaders with Modi’s common class.

Sometimes I feel power of Social media is driven by sheer honest energy of people. As rumoured, you can stage manage Newspaper boy like story in Main stream Media to prop up someone’s image but it falls flat in social media as here things work only on substance, Credibility and believable proof.

A good change for India going forward I guess if Social Media becomes the credible Fifth Pillar. And on the lighter note, Narendra Modi could have become the most successful unlikely mascot Maharaja for Air India, as next time people taking AI flight may wonder is there any pleasant surprise for them.