Air India undoes years of bias against air hostesses

New Delhi: Between 1950 and 2003, AI airhostesses’ flying age limit had been hiked in phases from 30 to their male counterpart’s 58. But each time this was done with a condition of regular medical checks to ensure their airworthiness while the male flight pursers did not have any such rules.
They only had to undergo an annual weight check, without the risk of being grounded if found overweight. Now AI management has reached an agreement with its cabin crew officers association that will make regular health checks mandatory for basic factors like heart condition, BP, diabetes and stress both for males and females.
Also, a male purser will no longer be the only one acting as inflight supervisor. Airhostesses will also get to head the division. And most importantly, the concept of interchangability of duties has been introduced for cabin crew.
Air India has 913 male pursers and 1,164 airhostesses. Indian Airlines (now AI-domestic) has 259 flight pursers and 1,091 airhostesses.
04/06/09 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India