(CNN) — An Indian airline has hit on possibly the worthiest excuse yet for hiring slim women as cabin crew — it saves fuel and therefore money.
While some airlines admit to hiring women for their sex appeal, budget carrier GoAir has implemented a female-only flight attendant recruitment policy because they are 15-20 kilos lighter on average than men, it claims.
The airline estimates each extra kilo on board costs Rs3 ($0.05) per flying hour, and the new policy will save it up to $500,000 annually.
Other weight-reduction initiatives have also been employed.
“The size of in-flight magazines has been reduced,” the airline’s CEO Giorgio De Roni told The Times of India. “The potable water tanks are no longer being filled to capacity as only 35% to 40% of that water is actually used.”
GoAir’s 130 male cabin staff (out of 330 total) will be unaffected — the policy affects future hires only. The airline expects to hire around 2,000 flight attendants and pilots over the next seven years.
Weight and its reduction is a key focus for airlines as fuel costs, comprising a third to half an airline’s operating costs, continue to rise.
Samoa Air last year became the first airline to charge fees according to weight, and a Norwegian economist has claimed this is the fairest and most sensible way to calculate prices.