India's Air India has introduced a new health and fitness compliance policy for its cabin crew, which will come into effect on May 1, 2026. The policy requires crew members to maintain a body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 24.9, with those classified as obese facing immediate de-rostering and loss of pay.
Under the policy, crew members who fall outside the prescribed weight limits can be pulled off flights without pay and subjected to unannounced BMI checks before or after duty. They must also clear functional fitness tests before being allowed to fly again.
The policy applies to all permanent and fixed-term contract cabin crew and introduces a graded corrective framework tied to BMI, ranging from medical evaluation and fitness assessments for those in the overweight category to immediate de-rostering and loss of pay for those classified as obese.
Air India cited fitness for professional duties as the basis for its new policy, stating that crew members must take proactive measures to be within the specified normal BMI range. The airline will conduct ad hoc weight checks before or after flights or during training at the home base or training academy.
Crew found to be underweight will be de-rostered and required to undergo a medical evaluation within seven days, at their own expense. Those in the overweight category face de-rostering and must clear the functional assessment before being re-rostered, while those classified as obese are immediately de-rostered and placed on loss of pay.
