Air India sacks 10 overweight air-hostesses, more may follow

New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) No one knows better the virtues
of looking slim and fit than 10 air-hostesses of Air India,
who have lost their jobs for failure to shed those extra kilos
that rendered them unfit for flying duties.

The services of these air-hostesses, who were grounded
by the national carrier for being overweight, have been
terminated for their failure to reduce their weight to the
acceptable standards and refusal to take up alternative ground
duties, airline sources said.

Confirming the decision, an airline spokesperson said
the termination of their services was carried out "strictly
under the terms of their appointment," a claim that has been
dubbed as illegal by the sacked employees.

Sources said the "overweight" hostesses were
given sufficient opportunity to reduce their weight to the
acceptable standards. They were also offered alternative jobs
on ground, which they refused to accept, they said.

The sources said while 10 air hostesses were sacked
in the Northern Region, there were some more across the
country who have been served similar notices.

The sacked air hostesses, however, said that the
action of the national carrier was illegal as they were not
served any notice and the decision was taken when the matter
was pending in the Supreme Court.

"The action is illegal and against natural justice. I
will soon file an application in the Supreme Court against the
order," advocate Arvind Sharma, lawyer of the air hostesses,
told PTI.

The Air India, however, justified, its action and said
that Delhi High Court had upheld its policy of taking action
against overweight air hostesses and the verdict has not been
stayed by the apex court.

The apex court on September last had agreed to hear
the plea of the air-hostesses challenging Airline's policy of
taking punitive action against them for being overweight.

"If we find merit (in air hostesses plea) we will
restore your service," the court had said while issuing notice
to the Airlines on the petition of the five air-hostesses
challenging the Delhi High Court.

The air-hostesses had pleaded that under the garb of
the terms mentioned in the appointment letter, Indian
Airlines, now merged into Air India, was trying to terminate
the service of the air-hostesses on the ground of their being
overweight.

Air-hostesses also opposed the Airlines' circular
through which it withdrew the relaxed terms with permissible
overweight limit of three kg over and above the upper limit as
laid down for the cabin crew.

The rules prescribe different weight limits according
to their height and age. For an 18-year-old air hostess with a
height of 152 cm, the maximum weight permissible is 50 kg
while for air hostesses in the age group of 26 to 30 and a
height of 152 cm, the weight limit is 56 kg. PTI