Cabin pressure

Of course, the air hostess8217;s charmed life was part fantasy. Behind the heady escapades in Atlanta and Addis Ababa lay stories of compulsory nail inspections for the right colour of varnish. There lay ordeals of having to answer considerably more inquiries about her age and family status than her male counterpart. The equal rights movement has rectified much of that, as have the changing dynamics of the travel industry. Discrimination on the basis of looks, age and gender is, thankfully, hard to justify in redressal courts. And in any case, in a fastforward, much terrorised world, she is seen less as eye candy than as an efficient dispenser of food and drink and a reassuring assistant in case of emergency. From a glorified nanny, she has transformed into a professional service provider.

That is why a Supreme Court bench 8212; while upholding Air India8217;s plea that air hostesses be grounded at the age of 50, their male counterparts at 58 8212; was correct last week in observing that in a competitive travel industry crew members should be smart, alert and agile. Certainly. But we wonder, are these qualitative assessments best made through objective standards like age? By all means, adjudge their demeanour and fitness as often as required, airlines must do this. But surely it must be an individual, gender neutral assessment. Surely equality is a fundamental right in the sky, too.

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