The Maharaja's New Clothes

Are Air India's new fashion and grooming rules for flight attendants regressive, or a first step towards a more efficient airline?

On an Air India flight from New York to Delhi a few years ago, a motherly flight attendant tucked me into my seat the way only an older Indian lady can. The same air hostess had kindly moved me from my original seat, 8K, in the first row in Business Class, to 14K in the aft cabin, with an empty seat next to me.

The Boeing 777-300 that AI operates on this route has a second, smaller Business Class cabin just behind the galley, with two rows of seats in a 2-3-2 configuration. Interestingly, the airline cordons off the six seats in the centre with curtains on both sides, and uses it as a crew rest area. On long-haul flights, rules require cockpit and cabin crew to be provided a flatbed during their breaks.