Airline tells 'guzzling and gaffawing' cabin crew off for bad behaviour
Stock photo/Getty
An airline has sent a stern message to its cabin crew telling them to behave themselves in mid-air, after a number of complaints were made about them guzzling passengers' meals and guffawing in the galley.
Complaints from first class passengers about the bad air behaviour of air stewards has prompted Air India to issue a circular telling staff how to eat and talk during flights, reports The Times of India.
According to the news outlet, which claims it has a copy of the memo, the airline confirmed that it had received complaints about the unruly behaviour of its cabin crew. Incidents cited included eating passengers' meals in full view of customers, talking and laughing loudly and and delaying response times to attend passengers' needs during flights.
The circular states that the crew must speak "softly" in the galley and "draw the curtain" while eating.
Earlier this year, Air India hit the headlines after a number of staff members were caught stealing alcohol and caviar from flights. One team member took 372 mini liquor bottles from an aircraft, and a catering officer was discovered with £233 worth of caviar from a chartered flight.
Like many airlines, the company has faced turbulent times recently. According to International Business Times , more than 600 staff have left the national carrier in the past three years.
And new rules which increase the number of flight duty time for pilots have also sparked tension between management and cabin staff.
But Air India isn't the only airline with cabin crew who have been reprimanded for their behaviour recently.
This week, two Ryanair stewards who tried to smuggle 8,000 duty free cigarettes into the UK were sacked.
And in July, A British Airways steward was dismissed after claims that he headbutted a colleague in an argument.
In June, a fllght attendant on an American airline hit the headlines after being filmed losing his temper over the tannoy, causing several passengers to refuse to fly with the attendant. And the same month, two Syrian air hostesses got into a fist fight, delaying their flight to Dubai.
Is it fair of Air India to reprimand it staff for eating and talking? Have you had a bad experience with a flight attendant? Tell us your stories below!
%VIRTUAL-Gallery-162901%
Related articles
Are these the worst inflight meals ever served?
Quiz: Guess the air hostess!
