NEW DELHI: : This cost-cutting move could potentially stink all the way from ground to the sky. Loss-making Air India has informed its crew that “routine availability of laundry services during international layovers will be discontinued from July 1, 2026.” The facility will, however, continue during domestic layovers. Pilots and cabin crew get their uniforms laundered at layover hotels so they turn up for their next flight looking clean, crisp and smelling fresh — the right brand ambassadors for the airline. But with Air India group incurring losses of thousands of crores last fiscal, all expense items are under the scanner. “We acknowledge that this represents a change from a long-standing arrangement during international layovers and understand this may require some adjustment,” says an e-mail sent to pilots. The mail adds that an iron and ironing board will be placed in layover hotel rooms. Crew members anticipating the need for additional uniform items can submit arequest through a designated link and are asked to “plan accordingly for their layovers in light of this change.” Air India has made an exception to the no-laundryabroad rule. During “flight diversions and simulator/class training-related duties in international stations”, laundry facilities will continue. Defending the move, Air India sources said crew are given four sets of uniforms, sufficient to meet duty requirements during international trips while allowing for smooth rotation and upkeep. “This is in line with policies followed by global carriers where uniform maintenance during layovers is treated as part of routine outstation expenses covered within per diem allowances,” they said. The move has upset many of Air India’s crew, some of whom joked they may now need to carry a bucket, detergent and clothesline on international trips.
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