New Delhi: An airhostess has approached
Delhi High Court challenging erstwhile India Airlines`
decision to sack her for being "overweight".
The Airline (Now known as National Aviation Company of
India Ltd) had last year terminated the services of the
petitioner along with 10 other "overweight" air hostesses.
The petitioner, Sangita Garb (46), who served the
airlines for 25 years, pleaded with the court to set aside the
termination order as it is "violative" of her fundamental
rights.
"The order of dispensing of the services by the
authority is without application of mind, illegal, arbitrary
and contrary to the services regulations and standing orders
and therefore untenable in law or liable to be set-aside,"
advocate Arvind Kumar Sharma, appearing for the petitioner,
contended.
Justice S N Aggarwal, after hearing his plea issued a
notice to the Airlines and asked it to file its response by
January 22 when the matter would be taken up for further
hearing.
The airhostess pleaded that under the garb of the
terms contained in the appointment letter, Indian Airlines,
which has now merged into Air India, was trying to terminate
the services on the ground of their being overweight.
Justifying its action, the Airlines had said these
airhostesses were sacked as they were declared medically unfit
to fly by a medical board and they refused to accept
alternative ground jobs offered to them.
The rules prescribe different weight limits according
to their height and age. For an 18-year-old airhostess with a
height of 152cm, the maximum weight permissible is 50 kg
while for an air-hostess in the age group of 26 to 30 and a
height of 152cm, the weight limit is 56 kg.
PTI