FIRST PUBLISHED: WED, AUG 20 2014. 11 53 PM ISTHOME» COMPANIES Can’t cap cabin crew age at 35 suddenly: Air India In move towards cap suggested by centre, airline says it will start by restricting the upper age limit to 45 Tarun Shukla 0 inShare 0 Comments Subscribe to: Daily Newsletter Breaking News Latest News 12:37 AM IST Hinduja Group | Global foundations 12:35 AM IST US job market gains not yet enough to push forward rate hike: Fed 12:30 AM IST E-rickshaws restricted till regulations are ready: Delhi govt 12:26 AM IST CBI claims Censor board chief was bribed to clear film on Indira’s assassination 12:11 AM IST Woodland sues Hidesign over sling bag design Editors picks The futility of not talking to Pakistan Consensus continues to elude GST Remembering yoga guru BKS Iyengar Govt drafts rules to give more powers to commodity futures market regulator Shaking up Team India The Air India official said the new hires will be women between the ages of 18 and 22 and men between the ages of 18 and 25, and have a maximum weight of 62 kg. Photo: Abhijit Bhatlekar/Mint New Delhi: Air India Ltd has told the civil aviation ministry that it cannot suddenly restrict the upper age limit of its cabin crew to 35 as it will hurt its operations. The civil aviation ministry had told the airline to cap the cabin crew age to 35 to provide for more efficient service. “After that age you tend to slow, its for everyone not just the crew,” said a government official who asked not to be identified. “If you have a younger crew the aircraft will be turned around faster which means more revenue for the airline and reduced losses—much like IndiGo.” His reference is to one of India’s only profitable airlines, run by InterGlobe Aviation Pvt Ltd. Air India has said it will start restricting the age to 45 to start with and has started hiring to move towards the government-suggested cap. An Air India official who asked not to be identified said this ongoing hiring follows stringent rules. Almost 70% of Air India’s cabin crew are in the higher age bracket, said the government official, without giving details. The ministry wants Air India to move these staff members to other functions such as airport counter handling. The Air India official said the new hires will be women between the ages of 18 and 22 and men between the ages of 18 and 25, and have a maximum weight of 62 kg. Over time, “the whole crew will be(come) new”, he said. By winter this year, the crew will also sport new uniforms, this person added. The move is part of the airline’s plan to improve service standards after induction into the world’s biggest airline club Star Alliance in July. Star Alliance is a group of over two dozen airlines including Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Singapore Airlines Ltd, Air China Ltd, Air Canada, United Airlines Inc., Turkish Airlines and Thai Airways. Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapati Raju wrote to the Air India chairman on 11 August listing a 26-point agenda the airline should follow. “Average cabin crew age should be maintained on par with the best competing airlines, for ensuring quicker service and lesser delays for the next take-off. The cabin crew of higher ages can be deployed in ground operations and services. The cabin crew and maintenance staff should ensure that the turnaround time for the aircraft is kept at the optimal level,” he wrote. Mint has reviewed a copy of the letter. The ministry will review Air India’s hiring and adherence to the agenda in three months. Air India’s cabin crew are backed by strong unions, some of which have political affiliations to the Shiv Sena and it is unclear how they will react. A union spokesman wasn’t immediately available for comment. Aviation safety expert Mohan Ranganthan said it will be difficult to use the slow-reflexes yardstick with cabin crew. “If a pilot is fit to fly (when he or she is older than 35) there is no reason why the cabin crew should not be allowed to fly as long as they are medically fit,” he said. “They should lay down strict medical standards including weight and enforce these,” he added Read more at: livemint/Companies/HENQCALzBaZzXbNXDRXQAP/Cant-cap-cabin-crew-age-at-35-suddenly-Air-India.html?utm_source=copy
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 01:16:18 +0000
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