Indian 'shedding' weight, offers VRS to cabin staff

State–owned air carrier Indian (formerly Indian Airlines) is going through an image makeover and with stiff competition in the aviation industry, it has decided to shed 'weight' by offering attractive voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) for its 500–odd cabin crew.

A few months back, Indian airhostesses were embroiled in a legal battle with their employer after they were grounded for being out of shape.

According to them, the airline has changed its vision of the Indian feminine ideal – abandoning the more buxom prototype in favor of a more westernised, skinny model, which staff see as "unattainable."

"Air hostesses are recruited to serve passengers, who look for a whiff of fresh air. How can we keep up our service standards with women who do not look captivating and capable?" an Indian official remarked.

"It goes to the credit of the airline if half a dozen crew members are able to keep hundreds of passengers cheerful with their looks, style and approach. If a passenger can resist working on his laptop for those few hours on board – that's the catch," the official justified.

"Air hostesses are the airline's brand ambassadors. Passengers are held captive inside the aeroplane staring at the flight crew for hours; you form an opinion of the airline from them. It's a cosmetic issue, but it's crucial," said the company lawyer. "Indian Airlines used to have a monopoly, but now the skies are open and the business is very competitive. Why would you fly Indian Airlines when staff at other companies are so very tall and attractive?"

The question of weight was also vital in helping to prevent terrorist attacks, he claimed. "Staff need to be fit enough to control crazy guys who are trying to take over the flight. Weight is an indication of fitness," he said.

An internal memo in 2006 warned cabin staff they would be banned from flying if random weight checks found them to be over a fixed weight, set out in a company chart. Although weight guidelines have always been in place, previously they were not rigorously enforced.

According to sources close to the development, at the root of the dispute is a struggle by the government–run airline to survive in an increasingly competitive industry where new private companies are aggressively marketing their cheap tickets and short–skirted employees.

The advertising of air travel in India has a pre–feminism 1950s feel to it, with companies like Kingfisher Airlines (run by beer liquor Vijay Mallya) selling young, leggy hostesses in scarlet heels and skimpy red skirts as part of the brand. Mallya prides himself on personally selecting his air hostesses and refers to them as 'walking models in the air.' Another new airline, SpiceJet, dresses its slim and fresh–faced 'Spice Girls' in tight skirts and heels.

Until now, Indian has stuck to the traditional sari, but staff say there is an increasing managerial sensitivity to the appearance – and weight – of its employees.

The women, most in their 40s and who have worked for the company for 20 years, have claimed that Indian wants to replace mature crew with "skinny and under–nourished" women to survive in a highly competitive industry.

"It is imperative for our national airline to represent the dignity of Indian culture and not resort to cheap gimmicks. Agreed, it's an increasingly competitive industry. But that does not mean low air fares and short–skirted girls should be given importance. Such policies are humiliating to women," said a senior Indian airhostess.

However, airhostesses of private airlines disagree. "Instead of fighting with their management, the overweight women should fight their calories," an airhostess with an international airlines said.

"It's a fact that government airlines have been losing business due to the icy and pot–bellied image of the air hostesses, who are basically lethargic," said a steward working with a private airline, adding that rules for both men and women crew were the same in the airline industry.

"It's human tendency to feel nice to have women of pleasant disposition around, so why would anyone want to see overweight women on board. Rules have to be followed even if it means being grounded for weighing a few hundred grams more. Because if rules can be bent for the staff, they might as well be bent for the passengers who carry extra luggage but are made to pay for it," he reasoned.

Though Indian's policy of grounding overweight and ageing cabin crew seem to have struck a roadblock, industry experts claim that the VRS may go down well with the employees as the company is giving a substantial premium over the usual VRS schemes.

Under the scheme, cabin crew in the age group of 41 to 58 years will get Rs. 13 lakh (about $29545) to Rs. 25 lakh (about $56818) compensation, depending on the number of years left in service.

The average salary drawn by Indian cabin crew is between Rs. 40,000 (about $909) and Rs. 50,000 (about $1136) a month.

The airline has also attached a clause to this scheme saying that an old cabin crew can switch over to other jobs within the airline by taking less compensation.

The compensation will be in addition to the existing post retirement benefits. Furthermore, cabin crew who are below the age of 50 years can opt for ground duties at the discretion of the company. Such cabin crew will receive the benefit of an additional monthly compensatory allowance ranging from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 50,000 per month within specified limits.

The government–controlled airline, which will soon merge with Air–India, has also amended its recruitment conditions so as to appoint cabin crew with qualification of 10+2 with experience. Traditionally, Indian recruited graduates as cabin crew.

This move is aimed at targeting professional and young cabin crew of other airlines and to reduce the average age of the cabin crew. At present, Indian has crew members in the age–group of 40–58 years on various slabs of its total strength of 1,300.

About lowering the qualifications, Vishwapati Trivedi, chairman and managing director, Indian said, "We have interacted with a lot of cabin crew of other airlines. They consider Indian as a great employer. This measure will attract a lot of cabin crew from private airlines."

"Moreover, we are planning to recruit over 100 young and professional cabin crew in the next three to six months," he said, adding, "We are targeting cabin crew of other airlines who are having dynamism and new energy to excel."

Meanwhile, the other state–owned air carrier Air–India (with which Indian is set to be merged) has announced that there would be VRS.

"We already had a VRS...there are no immediate plans now," Air–India chairman V. Thulasidas, who is tipped to become the chairman of the merged two public sector airlines, said.