(Image source from: Air India air-hostesses to swap saris for kurtis and churidaars})
Country's national carrier, Air India (AI) is up for a cosmetic overhaul. That's right!
In a bid to revamp its fledgling image and sales and attract more and more fliers, it's 4,000-strong cabin crew have decided to trade their boring wardrobe for something more contemporary and chic looking. Interesting!
The changes will be introduced during the winter schedule, starting October 25, to maximize gains from Star Alliance membership.
Now if you are wondering what prompted the ailing Air India ton plan a makeover, know that it's a part of their new strategy to be at par with international standards. But they aren't ditching the traditional Indian saris altogether. The new dress code, apparently, will be a mix of the sari and Indo-western trousers with small kurti and a scarf. Not just that, the cabin crew will swap their red-white-black uniforms for vibrant mustard yellow saris with orange print. The dresses will also include all the colors of the Air India logo.
"We have retained the sari because it is part of our Indian tradition and culture," explained an official.
"For domestic flights, cabin crew would have a mix of traditional saris and long kurti and a churidaar. Long-haul international flights will have 50 per cent of cabin crew on board in Indian dress comprising a lower and a kurti with a sash or dupatta. At least 50 per cent of them will be attired in Indo-western trousers with small kurti and a scarf. Each dress will be in the same color pattern from top to bottom," the AI official added.
Eager to salvage the plummeting charm of Maharaja in a highly competitive market, the airlines believe that a dress makeover could lend some freshness to the ailing carrier, which has now got a brand new fleet of planes but needs to improve its services.
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) will design AI's new uniforms for cabin crew and ground duty officials. Each cabin crew member will get a set of four uniforms.
AW: Schorita Choudhury
