Ryanair urges cabin crew to lose weight 'to save on fuel costs'

Rex

Ryanair has come up with a number of new initiatives aimed at saving money in the face of rising fuel prices - including advising cabin crew to "watch their weight".

The heavier an aircraft, the more expensive the flight, so a number of airlines are devising ways to make their planes lighter.

As well as encouraging flight staff to battle the bulge, Ryanair will cut the amount of ice on board, and reduce the weight of trollies and seats.

The in-flight magazine, Let's Go With Ryanair, will also now be published on A5 paper rather than A4, and will double up as a menu. As well as saving thousands of pounds on the fuel bill, the move will also cut printing costs by £400,000.

Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara told the Telegraph: "We cut costs wherever possible, and the changes will represent a significant reduction in weight.

"We also considered removing armrests, but decided against it. We even encourage staff to watch their weight – with the motivation of appearing in the annual Ryanair calendar."

Ah yes, the Ryanair calendar. Every year, Ryanair's female cabin crew strip down to their underwear for a racy calendar - but it's all in the name of charity.

The 2012 proceeds from The Girls of Ryanair calendar will go to DEBRA, a charity providing support to people suffering from epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a genetic skin condition.

But not everybody is keen on Ryanair's "racy" tactics. In February, the airline had two UK newspaper adverts banned after complaints they were sexist.

According to the BBC, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received 17 complaints about the adverts that depicted woman posing in their underwear with the headline: "Red Hot Fares & Crew! One way from £9.99".

The airline said the adverts promoted its 2012 cabin crew charity calendar, and used images directly from it, adding that crew members had posed voluntarily for the pictures. In fact, 400 girls applied to feature in the 2012 calendar, with only 12 staff members ultimately making the final cut.

Do you think the thought of appearing in the next one will "motivate" cabin crew to lose weight and help Ryanair's bid to cut fuel costs...?


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