Air India sparks anger over pre-flight weight checks on cabin crew

Air India is being criticised by unions over plans to introduce Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight checks for cabin crew. The new rules were issued in an internal memo saying that a “grooming associate” will make the checks quarterly. “Grooming associates have been assigned the task of recording observations on the BMI management/grooming/uniform turnout of cabin crew when they report for a flight or standby duty at CCMCO (Cabin Crew Movement Control Office)” reports India Today. ”Cabin crew who are well-dressed and well-groomed according to uniform standards and regulations, present a positive and professional image of the airline.”Union officials have hit out at the new policy saying that any BMI checks should be carried out by medial professionals and not “grooming associates”. “This stressful BMI check during for reporting at CCMCO is bound to disturb crew's mental preparation through giving rise to flight safety issues and pre-departure when cabin crew is required to conduct rapid review and briefings,” said the All India Cabin Crew Association. What the airline regards as an appropriate BMI result has not been revealed. Many experts argue that the BMI is not an accurate health measure. People with small frames, large frames, muscular and athletic people, can fall into the "overweight" or obese categories all too easily. It is useful as a tool to track the average changes over time in populations, but at an individual level it doesn't really serve as a reliable tool.<br/>