PETALING JAYA: The devastating Covid-19 pandemic has cost the jobs of millions across varied industries.
And those in the aviation and airline businesses are perhaps among the most affected, with thousands of cockpit and cabin crew having their 'wings' clipped.
Many of them have turned to alternative jobs like driving Grab cars and taxis, venturing into the food and beverage industry, online vocations, or direct-selling to make ends meet.
In the same vein, a commercial airline senior pilot wasted no time after being retrenched just days ago, to switch his command from the flight deck to a kitchen!
Captain Azrin Mohamad Zawawi, a veteran of 20 years with 13,000-plus flying hours with three airlines, has done this in a rather unique fashion.
Akin to the adage 'If there is a will, there is a way', Azrin decided to test his culinary skills, resplendent in a full commercial white-black pilot's uniform – complete with his 'four-bar' epaulette on his shoulders, peak cap, 'wings' and a red apron.
And already, Azrin is having his hands full at his small 'Kapten Corner' stall at the Boom Town Cafe at USJ 11, Subang Jaya.
"Knowing well that I and my family will be hard hit managing our finances and lives, I decided to fall back on my culinary skills which I had picked up after leaving school more than two decades ago.
"Rather than grumble about losing my job and face unwanted sufferings, I consulted my family about the stall business, which requires a manageable investment.
"They were all for it and here I am," Azrin, who turns 44 tomorrow, told The New Straits Times.
He added that his mother-in-law, Rohime Abdul Rahman, is the main cook, while he and his wife Latun Noralyani Meor Aminudin complement her in running the stall.
Azrin is a father of four school-going children – sons Razeen Irsyad 15, and Razeen Ilham, 10, and daughters Latun Syazreen, 14, and Latun Syakirah, 13.
In fact, Azrin confided that it was his father, Mohamad Zawawi Ahmad, who greatly supported his idea of running his own stall.
"My father knew well that nobody knew what the future of the aviation industry would be as a result of Covid-19.
"He told me that he was pessimistic about the situation returning to normalcy soon and when I would get to wear my pilot's uniform again.
"That is why I decided to don my full uniform to carry out my stall business serving delicious meals like mee curry, bihun sup, laksa utara and rojak buah," said Azrin, admitting the gimmick caught on well with curious customers.
And before he knew it, social media was already abuzz over his antics.
Azrin divulged that his stall could only garner an average gross income of RM1,500 daily, as compared with his estimated RM50,000 monthly pilot's income.
"But I am confident business will pick up with social media publicity.
"I badly need to stay afloat as my overheads are about RM30,000 a month for maintaining my houses, cars, children's private schooling, personal expenses and other incidentals.
"This is really a wake-up call for everyone, including me and my family.
"I never expected this scenario. Before, we endured the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) pandemic that lasted one year only.
"We thought Covid-19 will be the same, but not so," said Azrin.
Azrin was among the 2,200 crew and staff of Malindo Air who were served with retrenchment letters on Oct 30.
So have tens of thousands of pilots around the globe who have either been laid off or had to accept huge pay cuts and loss of perks.
These include those from AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines (MAS), Singapore Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, British Airways and the like.
Azrin began his flying career with MAS in 2000 as a co-pilot – first on the de Havilland Twin Otter, then the Fokker 50, Boeing B737-400 and B777-200.
He then moved to Firefly in 2012 as a captain on the B737NG.
In 2015, he joined Lion Air and was based in Jakarta, Indonesia for three years, before flying for Malindo Air for five years and six months.
"My last position with Malindo was as the type rating examiner for the B737NG," he said.