Fly lean or we'll be mean: A-I to crew

The flag carrier has asked 1,600 cabin crew members to melt down their flab in two months or be grounded.

In a couple of months from now, Air-India cabin crew may need more than just identification cards to board the aircraft -- they need to have a lean body.

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As it prepares to take competition from foreign and domestic airlines head on, the flag carrier has asked 1,600 cabin crew members to melt down their flab in two months or be grounded.

The ultimatum is not just for air hostesses and flight stewards, but pilots too.

"Those who are overweight, will be grounded (assigned ground duties). But this is not a new decision...The weight control rules are there for quite a long time," said A-I General Manager S Venkat.

But this time we are going to be more strict, he said, without mincing words.

According to airline sources, A-I has already circulated notices to all its cabin crew indicating the deadline to get rid of the flab.

The exercise is part of the airline's efforts to keep up with the competition and improving the appearance and fitness levels of cabin staff figures among the priorities.