Air India is expected to roll out a more stringent health and fitness compliance policy for its cabin crew members, starting from May 1, that would see those found underweight, overweight or obese facing derostering and loss of pay, Indian media reported on Sunday.
The assessment will be based on the crew members' Body Mass Index (BMI).
A BMI range between 18 and 24.9 is categorized as "normal" and will be considered fully acceptable by the airline.
A BMI below 18 is categorised as "underweight" and "overweight" in the between 25 and 29.9.
Both categories are acceptable for the airline only after clearance from particular medical and functional assessments, news agency PTI reported citing access to the policy.
Cabin crew members will be removed from active flying rosters if they are either "underweight" or "overweight" and will be required to pass the functional assessment, the report said.
Crew members who failed to clear the assessment, would be placed on loss of pay till a clearance takes place, reports added.
The policy is stricter for those with a BMI of over 30, categorized as "Obese." The airline would consider it unacceptable under any circumstances and personnel falling in the category will be immediately grounded and face loss of pay..
They will have to achieve the acceptable BMI within a stipulated number of days.
Air India is the country's flag carrier.
It was founded in 1932 as Tata Airlines by Indian business magnate JRD Tata.
The airline was taken over and nationalized by the Indian government in 1953.
In January 2022, the airline returned to the Tata Group — India's oldest conglomerate — after being bought for roughly $2.4 billion (€2.1 billion approx).
