Goodbye Aging Cabin Crew Members

Pekanbaru, Riau, Oct 10 (ANTARA) - Garuda Indonesia has set the age limit of cabin crew members to 36 years in response to comments from passengers that its stewardesses are older than the private airlines' counterparts.

Garuda Indonesia Pekanbaru general manager Muhammad Anshori said here Sunday the present age limit is 56 years.

Hence, the demand from the stewardess of Garuda Indonesia met by the House of Representatives following a permit from then state minister for women's empowerment after Khofifah Indar Parawangsa.

Currently, Anshori added, Garuda Indonesia is restructuring its regulations and will recruit new flight attendant under its new rules.

"Later on, the working contracts of the new recruits will be renewed in every two years after they finished education and training at the Garuda Aviation Training and Education Center," he said.

In the meantime, Vice President of Business Support of Garuda Indonesia Boedi Soeharto said the airline company needs 1,000 new flight attendants.

The new requirements are made in anticipation of business expansion and the purchase of new aircraft increasing their number from 60 in 2009 to 114 in 2013.