Shape up or ship out: Indian air hostesses in a dilemma

Indian air hostesses embroiled in a legal battle with their employer after they were grounded for being out of shape said the move was unconstitutional and have vowed to win back lost wages.

Eleven women have claimed that they have suffered from low self–esteem after being grounded by state–run Indian (formerly Indian Airlines) for being between a few hundred grams and 3 kg (6.6 lbs) over the firm's specified weight limit.

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

Their lawyer Arvind Kumar Sharma, said while almost all the grounded air crew have lost weight and are now able to fly, only 11 of the 120 have taken legal action. According to him, Indian Airlines approach represented a breach of the right to livelihood and described it as "arbitrary discrimination."

"The company told me that I was above the limit and that I should go home until I had lost the excess weight," said Sheela Joshi, 48, who was grounded for weighing 64.9 kg instead of the required 63 kg.

Distressed at the prospect of losing her job after 25 years with the company, she went on a crash diet, and now eats only one meal a day to try to keep within the limit. She has been allowed to fly again, but describes the process as demeaning. "This is our national carrier and should represent the dignity of Indian culture. These new policies are humiliating to women," she said, adding, "I had to go on a serious diet and it took me over 1–½ months to lose weight and I wasn't paid by the company. It was a stressful period, and I lost confidence in myself."

"They want to discard the heavier women and bring in newer, thinner models," she said.

"To be or not to be is the issue," an Indian official remarked. "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?" he queried.

"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.

Lawyers for the company have claimed that the women are contractually obliged to meet weight guidelines for health reasons.

"This is an issue about fitness not about image. Cabin crew need to be physically fit for their work," Rupinder Singh Suri, the company's lawyer, said.

"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 another 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 and employees were allowed to weigh in at up to three kilos above the limit. Lawyers for the cabin crew unions say that around 120 employees were grounded after a statement in May warned staff they would be banned from flying if found to be over a fixed weight based on criteria such as age and height. However, most are now back at work, they added.

The women who felt "distressed" and "humiliated" are determined to take their case to Delhi's High Court and even to the Supreme Court, demanding the company pay their salaries for the time they were grounded and withdraw the May circular which they say is a breach of their constitutional rights.

The restrictions also apply to the 200 male stewards working for the airline, 20 of whom were among the 120 barred from work. Indian stopped recruiting men for its cabins in 1988.

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 baron 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," a senior Indian air hostess said.

"If you look at the cinema, you can see how attitudes are changing. Twenty years ago the stars were bigger, rounder. Now all that matters is the slim figure," said Joshi.

"After 25 years, the airline seems to be saying, 'you are worn out, we want a younger face.' They want supermodels, not air hostesses, and they're setting us unattainable goals. But actually passengers want a polite and caring service and most are more concerned about flight safety than looks. Experienced cabin crew are better in a crisis than new people recruited for their appearance," she said.

However, air hostesses of private airlines disagree. "Instead of fighting with their management, the overweight women should fight their calories. One does not have to go on a crash diet if one is careful about food habits. But if all kinds of wrong foods tempt them, it's better to sit at home, cook and eat to their heart's content," an air hostess 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.