'Your Chances Are Zero': How a Sikh Youth Beat the Odds to Become Central India's First Sikh Cabin Crew Member

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A SIKH CABIN CREW MEMBER who is now running an aviation academy, Harshdeep Kanauja, shared the story of how he became a cabin crew member and the challenges he faced along the way. He shared his story in an interview published on AeroDreams by Harshdeep on May 17, 2026. He said that when he started his journey in 2006, he was unaware of what the aviation industry was really about and what his future would look like.

He explained that the industry is full of glamour, but it is not as easy as it appears. He said that he began his journey by joining an aviation academy. He went there for counselling, and according to him, they told him fascinating stories about how everything would be great, that he would earn a good salary, and that he would get to travel the world. He said, "I got mesmerized and thought that this is what I want to do."

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He explained that the fees were very high, but he thought the salary would also be high, so it would be worth it. Eager to secure admission, he spoke to his parents. "My father was reading the newspaper," he recalled. He told his father that he wanted to become a cabin crew member. His father asked him what that meant, and he replied, "Like the girls who work as air hostesses on planes, men also do the same work." According to Harshdeep, his father jokingly said, "Now you are going to work while wearing a saree." He said there was very little awareness about the profession at the time.

Although his parents were not convinced, Harshdeep was determined to pursue his dream. He paid the fees and finalized his admission. However, on the very first day of classes, something unexpected happened. He said there were 32 students waiting for class to begin when he alone was called by the centre manager to his cabin.

No Job Guarantee for a Sikh Cabin Crew Member

When he entered the cabin, the manager handed him a form and asked him to sign it. Harshdeep said that when he read the form, it stated that if he failed to get a job in the future or was rejected for any reason, the institute would not take any responsibility. He pointed out that before admission, he had been given a 100 percent job guarantee, yet after enrolling, he was suddenly being asked to sign such a form.

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He questioned the centre manager, asking why he was the only one among the 32 students being asked to sign the form. According to Harshdeep, the manager replied, "Harshdeep, this is a female-dominated industry. If I talk about 10 candidates, out of 10, six or seven girls are selected, and hardly three or four boys are selected. Out of those three or four boys, no Sardar has become a cabin crew member till date, so your chances are zero."

Harshdeep said this came as a huge shock. He wondered how he would face his parents and what he would tell them. He said that if he had told them about the form, they would have reminded him that they had already warned him. "I took it as a challenge and signed it," he said.

The First Sikh Cabin Crew from Central India

Determined to prove everyone wrong, he worked relentlessly. He focused on improving his English, his appearance, and every other skill required to become a cabin crew member. He said, "When that preparation turned into a passion, and that passion turned into an obsession, I wasn't even aware of it."

Eventually, a time came when everyone at the institute believed he would become a cabin crew member, but he himself was still uncertain. He said, "In the back of my mind, I had that blockage of the form that the centre management made me sign, and I kept thinking that it would not happen. So, I was always in that dilemma that I wouldn't make it."

But he eventually proved everyone wrong. Today, Harshdeep proudly says that through hard work and perseverance, he became the first Sikh from Central India to become a cabin crew member.

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