Shah Rukh Khan thanked the Air India pilots and staff for a "beautiful journey"
National Carrier Air India has got a champion in Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan, who is also willing to double up as its Brand Ambassador. After his journey home from New York, Shah Rukh Khan was all-praise for Air India and put in on record through a tweet.
"Unofficially & Unabashedly I want to declare myself the ambassador of @airindiain ndia. Thank u to the ground staff and the wonderful pilots for a hospitable warm & beautiful journey... Maharaja, Maharaja hi hota hai..," read the tweet of Mr Khan, who has endorsed a host of brands, sport leagues and Indian states from Big Basket to West Bengal.
Air India was quick to respond.
"It's always a pleasure for "Maharaja" to serve "King Khan" . The Air India family is so happy to see your kind words of appreciation which are so encouraging for us. We are truly humbled when "King Khan" is the brand ambassador for "Maharaja"," read a tweet from the company's official handle.
Twitter savoured the exchange, with some pointing out that it was time the cash-strapped airline started showing profit.
Earlier this year, the government had started the process to sell 76 per cent stakes, evoking both outrage and relief from the political establishment and the civil society.
But months later, it admitted that there have been no takers for the airline. In a later announcement, it said the divestment plans have been shelved for now. The government said it would review the plans to privatise Air India at a later date, as the timing for the move was wrong in view of high oil prices.
Successive governments had spent hundreds of crores to keep the Maharaja flying before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet gave a go-ahead for the sell-off last year.