Shape up or face action, airlines tell air hostesses

NEW DELHI: Shed flab or face action seems to be the mantra of state-run airliners with regard to overweight airhostesses as three leading public carriers have grounded 43 out-of-shape stewards.

Indian Airlines and Air India, now merged into one entity, have grounded 22 and 16 overweight airhostesses respectively, while Alliance Air has taken action against five stewards so far, the government told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

"Such cabin crew are asked to reappear for weight check periodically and are assigned flight duty once they conform to the prescribed weight limits," civil aviation minister Praful Patel said in a written reply to a question. He said cabin crew who continue to remain overweight are evaluated by a medical board, and based on its assessment and recommendations, further action is taken as per the Terms of Employment.

To a question on safety, Patel said four incidents of breach of separation were reported at the Delhi airport last year and steps are being taken to avert recurrence of such incidents.

The steps include modernization of air traffic services, implementation of safety management system at Delhi airport, modification of standard operating and coordination procedure for simultaneous runway operations and flexible use of airspace for reducing traffic congestion.


Cabin crew have to follow certain guidelines wrt to their appearance and hygiene for a vairety of reasons. They represent the carrier they are flying for, they serve food to passengers, they are responsible for the safety of the passengers (can you imagine a fat out of condition crew member in an emergency?)

But they use the airlines union to keep their jobs while breaking all the rules in the book!

What is your take?

Sugarnspice,

I think the airlines have to take things into hand or lose out to other carriers..the competition war is at its height..so this is happening....

But as you say, unless somebody issues stringent warning these people would take steps towards a positive goal.

Union coverage works in all places...otherwise banks will not go on strike as they like....

what about the police force where they are supposed to maintain a lithe and energetic one...???

Thanks for your response!
I think that people need to be fit for their own sake, but perhaps if their jobs were at risk they would have a better incentive,
I am reminded of a steward in one of our national carriers who decided to grow a large moustache, this was not allowed as the man served food to passengers, he fought the airline with the help of the union.
I know of many cabin crew who use the system, to earn a salary without doing any work, taking leave, running private businesses, appropriating items from the aircraft that are meant for passengers and selling them! The list goes on.

Hi sugarnspice,

I think what is lacking today in all sector's of the Indian economy is a lack of productivity and accountability in the human workforce. Some people don't have a sense of ownership towards the country and this is manifested in the form of cheap behaviour that we see all around us. People have the 'government job' kind of attitude and fail to realize how much they contribute to deteriorate the systems.

Overall, India can reach the levels of developed countries only when Indian's show an interest in making this happen. Everyone is constantly striving to fill their own pockets at the cost of the nation & until this attitude of the people does not change, India will struggle on.....

Hi Shanvy,

All that I can recollect of the police force is their tremendous moustache and bellies !!! Nothing on lines of efficiency, etc that they should actually represent !!!

Hi All,
When I was in my teens, I used to be amazed to see these such figures of Airhostesses.......that time I had no experience to fly in an international one. But now I had flown in different Airlines.......like American Airlines, British Airways....AirFrance and Austrian Airlines.....
But in none of these Airlines, I saw this kind of figure concious ladies/airhostesses. I am not saying that we should be overweight but all the Airhosstesses in Private Jetlines of India look so anoroxic.......I feel pity for them......
So, the punch line here is, the travellers would like to have a good service in the airlines....the beuty factor may come next.......
What I think that the Airlines tries to cover up the loopholes under these beautiful faces.......
Regards.

Meeta,
There is a difference between beauty and fitness. In an emergency, you depend on the air hostess to provide necessary assistance, to combat a fire, to escape a burning/sinking aircraft. to deal with illnesses on board. There is a difference between being obese and being fit.
Being slim is not necessarily anorexic.