In a desperate bid to woo paying passengers, the airline is thinking of imposing an age limit of 40 or 45 for cabin crew. At present, they can fly till they turn 58 as per a report in TOI by Saurabh Sinha. During the ongoing brainstorming sessions to improve aircraft occupancies, two factors emerged as requiring improvement — on-time performance and overall passenger experience at airports and inside aircraft.
Focusing on in-flight experience, an official said, "About 1,000 flight attendants in the age group of 20-27 have been hired recently. Once they are trained, there can be a correct mix of youth and experience." If the age limit proposal is accepted, those above the cut-off age could be put on ground jobs like most private airlines do.
Also, the current red-and-black sari that flight attendants wear was found to be a sore point with passengers. Even airhostesses haven't found it comfortable, especially in summer. "National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi, is being asked to design a more aesthetic uniform for the crew," the official said.