Maharajah seeks clear-skinned girls

After a gap of 10 years, the airline is on a massive recruitment drive seeking both ‘‘Madhuri Dikshits to Naomi Campbells’’.

‘‘The clear complexion means the face should be free of any small pox, pimple or acne marks,’’ says Jitender Bhargava, director Human Resources of the loss-making airline. No wonder companies like HLL selling ‘marks free’ creams are doing brisk business.

Fearing that ‘clean’ complexioned can become a touchy issue, Bhargava takes pain to clarify that ‘clean’ complexion does not mean that the airline will hire only fair girls. ‘‘We cannot say no to dark complexioned girls,’’ he says.

‘‘We are seeking girls and boys who should be benchmarked with the best of the world like Singapore Airlines,’’ he adds.

The airline has already recruited 250 girls who are undergoing training at its Santacruz training centres. Thus, this quarter, in total, the airline will hire 850 cabin crew to supplement its massive Rs 10,000-crore expansion drive.

The upper age limit for recruitment has been set at 24 years and the airline would like to hire the new girls on 3-year contracts—lest it is saddled with extra staff who cannot be grounded as they grow older.

The airline has already lost a case in the Supreme Court when air hostesses demanded ‘equal opportunity’ to continue flying till they are 58.

As the older batch of air hostesses are now retiring and its 28 new aircraft expansion plan is almost certain, Air-India is on a high. The airline is also looking at the option of spot checking at the time of boarding for weight and grooming for its new recruits.

‘‘If they fail they can be grounded,’’ warns a senior official. As the airline is still owned by the government and disinvestment is still a long way to go, Air-India is hoping with the help of new recruits it will be able to increase its falling market share from below 20 per cent to more respectable levels. The last date of application is January 30, 2004.