In what could be a weighty problem for Air India, the carrier is planning to ground 125 cabin crew for being overweight, according to reports.
The state-owned airline is currently required by the country's aviation authority to ensure that recruits stay within a normal weight range, based on body mass index (BMI) calculations, a tool used to measure body fat based on age, height and weight.
India's civil aviation authority introduced overarching weight regulation in May 2014, saying it was consistent with rules "which state that cabin crew must remain medically fit to discharge duties in inflight operations including aircraft emergency."
It says female cabin crew should stay within a BMI range of 18-22, and their male counterparts between 18-25. Overweight staff, the regulation said, "shall be examined and investigated," with crew given three months' notice to lose weight, or risk being deemed temporarily "unfit" for in-flight work and grounded for 3 months before being re-assessed.
Last year, Air India warned about 600 cabin crew last year that they needed to lose weight, and now, according to a BBC report citing an airline official, 125 of those staff have not been able to reach the target range.
The official told the BBC that it was concerned unfit staff wouldn't be able to handle emergency situations as efficiently.
However, that's not the end of Air India's contentious employment policies. According to a June 2015 job ad, Air India's subsidiary and regional carrier Alliance Air said it was looking for "unmarried" cabin crew with a "with clear complexion without any noticeable blemish, no odd scars (or) birth mark or bad case of acne and no visible tattoo(s)."
They also said recruits should have "even and regular teeth," and should speak without a lisp.
Airline grounds 125 staff deemed too fat to fly
Air India is complying with regulations set by the country's aviation agency, not their own.
The state-owned airline is currently required by the country's aviation authority to ensure that recruits stay within a normal weight range, based on body mass index (BMI) calculations, a tool used to measure body fat based on age, height and weight.
India's civil aviation authority introduced overarching weight regulation in May 2014, saying it was consistent with rules "which state that cabin crew must remain medically fit to discharge duties in inflight operations including aircraft emergency."
It says female cabin crew should stay within a BMI range of 18-22, and their male counterparts between 18-25. Overweight staff, the regulation said, "shall be examined and investigated," with crew given three months' notice to lose weight, or risk being deemed temporarily "unfit" for in-flight work and grounded for 3 months before being re-assessed.
Last year, Air India warned about 600 cabin crew last year that they needed to lose weight, and now, according to a BBC report citing an airline official, 125 of those staff have not been able to reach the target range.
The official told the BBC that it was concerned unfit staff wouldn't be able to handle emergency situations as efficiently.
However, that's not the end of Air India's contentious employment policies. According to a June 2015 job ad, Air India's subsidiary and regional carrier Alliance Air said it was looking for "unmarried" cabin crew with a "with clear complexion without any noticeable blemish, no odd scars (or) birth mark or bad case of acne and no visible tattoo(s)."
They also said recruits should have "even and regular teeth," and should speak without a lisp.
Airline grounds 125 staff deemed too fat to fly
Air India is complying with regulations set by the country's aviation agency, not their own.
