The rule will come into effect on May 1 this year, and its compliance will be assessed according to the so-called body mass index (BMI), The Economic Times specified. BMI can be calculated by dividing the person’s weight by the square of their height.
Those who fit between the values of 18.5 and 24.9 have nothing to fear, in that case it is a mark of a standard body constitution. However, if the worker gets above or below the limit of this range, it will be considered an indicator of obesity, or underweight.
However, it will still be acceptable with the condition that the person in question successfully passes a check-up with a doctor. Until then, they will be placed out of service with reduced pay. At the same time, they are given a certain number of days to reach the mentioned range.
The new rules are particularly harsh for workers whose BMI exceeds 30. This will be considered completely unacceptable, and stewards or flight attendants must expect to be fired in such a case.
The regulation will apply to on-board personnel in active service, but also to those undergoing professional training for these positions.
In the meantime, there have been critical comments, according to which BMI is a controversial indicator because it does not take into account individual differences. The index does not distinguish between the content of fat and muscle tissue and evaluates only the total weight of a person, according to opponents.
Tight uniforms
According to the Daily Mail server, requirements for the physical constitution of stewards and flight attendants are nothing new. For example, at Emirates, cabin crew members are said to be given deadlines to lose weight if their uniforms are too tight.
“It was enough for the wrong person to see you,” a former employee of Emirates, who worked for this carrier for almost six years, told the server.
Air India is a state-owned airline with headquarters in Delhi and Mumbai. It has been a member of the Star Alliance since 2014. Air India has sister companies Air India Regional for regional flights and low-cost airline Air India Express.
