It’s a turbulent flight for cabin crew

Australian newspaper The Age once described Air India’s cabin crew as “tired, unfriendly and inefficient.” If the paper were to look for reasons why, it would not have to dig too deep.

Some of the cabin crew members of domestic airlines that DNA spoke to said the rigorous regime in the air and the daily discrimination they face takes a huge toll, not only physically but also psychologically.  They say the recent mid-air scuffle between pilots and two members of the cabin crew was an ugly manifestation of their working conditions.

An air hostess with a leading local airline, who did not want to be named, said they have to dance to not just the commander’s but to everyone’s tune on a flight, which can get very stressful.

“The commanders are quite particular about how their food or coffee is served,” she said.  “They are very demanding. If we are unable to deliver they start harassing us by suddenly asking questions on flight safety.”

Sometimes, such trivial matters can blow out of proportion and take the form of a major showdown.

But tiffs between pilots and air hostesses are not always trivial, and cases of serious sexual harassment at the workplace are rampant in the industry, though most of the times they are swept under the carpet or settled through a compromise between the victim (usually an air hostess) and the culprit (pilots).

Sanjay Lazar, general secretary of the Air India Cabin Crew Association (AICC), said female cabin crew are especially vulnerable to harassment and discrimination on board an aircraft.  He said that after Komal, an Air India air hostess, filed a complaint of molestation by senior pilots at a police station in Delhi, there has been a spurt in the number of complaints filed by female cabin crew members.

“The complaint filed by the air hostess against two pilots has encouraged more girls to come out in the open and take the matter up,” he said. “Before the incident [the row between cabin crew and pilots], there were just three cases of workplace harassment lodged by various crew members in one year. Since the incident, however, there have been at least four complaints in less than a month.”

Lazar said three to four women employees from the erstwhile Indian Airlines have also approached the AICC with cases of harassment at the workplace.

“Women should not be intimidated at the workplace through insinuation or taunts and should be respected whether it is at home or at the workplace,” he said. “In erstwhile Air India people were sacked for such behaviour.” 

 After the Komal midair episode, the National Commission for Women has decided to issue guidelines for better working conditions for air hostesses. It has also promised to investigate the working environment of female cabin crew in various airlines.

Prakash Mirpuri, Kingfisher Airlines spokesperson, said his airline has created an internal system to address the grievances of the cabin crew.  “Our cabin staff have adequate opportunities and platforms internally to share feedback and concerns and ensure that they are heard and addressed as needed, by the (company’s) leadership team,” he said.