Air India last year warned 600 of its 3500 cabin crew to lose weight within six months or risk being taken off flights and given a job on the ground.
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| The airline said that the "normal" BMI for an air hostess is between 18 and 22, "overweight" between 22 and 27, and "obese" for a value above 27. |
A BMI is a measure of body fat based on a person's height and weight.
The airline said that the "normal" BMI for an air hostess is between 18 and 22, "overweight" between 22 and 27, and "obese" for a value above 27.
For male attendants the brackets were 18 to 25, 25 to 30, and above.
The NHS says a "healthy" BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9.
After the state-run airline's staff were tested last year, the 600 found to be "overweight" or "obese" were declared "temporarily unfit" for flight duties and asked to undergo clinical examinations and lose weight by changing their diet and lifestyle and exercising.
"About 130 of them failed the reassessment," an Air India official said in Calcutta.
"We are now declaring them permanently unfit for their job as flight attendants.
"People who are fitter can respond quicker and more efficiently in case of any untoward situation."
This is not the first time Air India has removed staff from the air for being overweight. In 2009 it grounded 10 flight attendants who failed to slim.
In 2013 Air India said using female flight attendants rather than male could save them about £329000 (R6.8-million) a year because they weighed less.
A member of the All India Cabin Crew Association said the grounding of 130 staff was "ridiculous".
Source: TimesLive
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