Grounding overweight Air Hostesses is it a fair decision?

Question

The above is a BBC report,in my opinion the judgement by the Court is unfair and dsicriminatory.Whats your vie?

India grounds 'fat' air hostesses

By Sanjoy Majumder

BBC News, Delhi

Air India faces competitions from other airlines with younger flight crew

An Indian court has ruled that state-owned airline Air India has the right to prevent its air hostesses from flying for being overweight.

The Delhi high court was responding to a case filed by five air hostesses who had been grounded by the airline for being too fat to fly.

Answer 1

Of course is discrimination. When I choose a flight I do over the prices and service. Air hostesses are just for security during the trip, looks has nothing to do with it.

Answer 2

Depends on how big they are and if it creates problems with job duties and safety.

Is there a weight limit set in the job description? Did these woman gain weight and are in violation of the job they signed up for?

It is easy to take what you say at face value, but there may be some reasons for it. You just do not have enough information here. A link might help.

Answer 3

It sounds shallow if 'being overweight' was the only reason. If there were other reasons that may prevent them from performing their duties efficiently, then it sounds kinda ok. I m NOT for firing anyone for any reason except when there is something illegal, or if they aren't able to do that work.

Answer 4

If they can't effective do their job then yes its a fair decision, if they are just a little over weight and its a vanity thing, then i would have issues with the act

Answer 5

In the hospitality industry, looks do matter. I'm yet to meet a fat male pilot or any fat male working in any airline.

You have to look presentable to make the cut in this industry. This isn't discrimination based on gender, it is discrimination based on looks, which is OK in any country.

And BBC has a record of not giving all the details (Some question asked by Eleanor is testimony to this), especially when it's about India. You don't know if it was simply because they looked bad, or whether their weight was hindering services. There are situations where an air hostess has to be alert and agile.

The air hostesses are seen by all the passengers, and they do mind a little bit if she's 5'5" and 200 pounds.

Why do fat people (let alone women) never make it in the fashion industry? No fat supermodels? Got to be discrimination! No? Thought not.

It isn't a bit unfair, because it's the business which suffers if there is nothing done about it. Trimming down can be done.

Again, I repeat, this isn't sexism, just business. Feminists should stop digging out sexism from everything.

EDIT: Eleanor B, males are called hosts not hostesses, and no male is ever seen by the passengers except for the safety demonstrations.

Answer 6

If they're going to do that, they'll have to leave off fat pilots and fat passengers. And even if they did that, the rule would be ridiculous.

Answer 7

India isn't America. The are legally free to discriminate all they want.

How about China? If you don't look like a Miss Universe, you can forget about being hired. http://www.flumesday.com/2007/11/28/chin...

I work at an airport. The american and european carriers have a few overweight, older, and plain attendants of all ethnic groups. We always look forward to the arriving flights from foreign countries. Their fight attendants look better than ours.

The foreign airlines, especially the latin american based airlines, and the asian carriers are not based in the U.S.A.

They don't fall under affirmative action and equal opportunity guidelines. They discriminate by age, appearance, and especially race. Blacks can pretty much forget about working for China Air, or TACA Airlines.

As long as it's not white people doing the discriminating, nothing will be done.

Answer 8

You have to be thin in order to move efficiently on the narrow corridors of a plane.

So I think the decision is justified.

As for pilots, they do not need to move. So they can be fat (although I don't recall to see any pilot that is really fat).

@Rio

Passengers just sit and do not need to move. Plus there is already an history of law suits over the mater of not allowing a paying fat person on the plane.

Answer 9

Only if they ground overweight male air hostesses too - what's good for the goose is good for the gander :-)