Airlines are on a constant mission to battle high fuel prices. One airline is resorting to only hiring female flight attendants and they don't weigh as much as men, which saves on fuel costs.
Low-cost Indian airline GoAir says that having an all female staff can save the airline 30million rupees ($499,000) per year in fuel costs as females weigh an average of 33 to 44 pounds lighter than men, the Times of India reports.
The airline currently has 132 male flight attendants. The current flight attendants will not be fired , but no more males will be hired.
The airline is planning on adding 80 aircrafts to its flight of 15 by 2020 and they'll be looking for 2,000 cabin crew members and pilots.
As another way to cut fuel costs, GoAir is planning to cut the size of its in-flight magazine and only fill its water tanks by 60 percent to make the plane lighter. GoAir estimates that it spends one-and-a-half rupees per very extra pound that it carries per hour.
A currency rate change has played a part in the airline's decision to cut costs. Chief executive Giorgo De Roni blames the change on the rupee dropping 27 percent against the US dollar over the past year.
"The rupee's fall has hurt the industry badly," he told the Times of India. "All major expenses - aircraft leasing, spare parts and fuel costs - are linked to the dollar. We are looking at every possible way of cost-cutting to remain profitable."
In addition to hiring females flight attendants and reducing the water tank percent, new planes are being developed to cut fuel costs.
"Our new aircraft will have sharklets (wingtip devices) that will help in reducing fuel burn by 5%. From next year onwards, we will have sharklets installed in five of our existing planes as the remaining 10 will be phased out to have a young fleet," De Roni said.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
