Cash-starved Air India putting crews on low-fat diet

NEW DELHI (AP) - Cash-starved Air India is putting its crew on a diet, changing their inflight menu to special low-fat meals.

Dhananjay Kumar, the state-run airline's spokesman, said Wednesday that the objective is to provide healthy and cost-effective meals to crews on domestic and international flights.

Kumar declined comment on media reports that the cost per meal, mostly vegetarian, will fall to one-third of the current 500-800 rupees (up to $11) per meal.

The new menu was introduced Monday on flights originating from New Delhi and Mumbai and will be extended to other routes soon.

"Special low-fat diet meals have been worked out on a day-wise basis in order to provide light and healthy meal with a home (Indian) touch," an airline statement said.

The decision comes at a time when the Indian government is trying to divest from Air India, which has debts of nearly 580 billion rupees ($8 billion).

After an earlier failed attempt to sell the airline off last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is expected to try again in October.

In 2009, the airline fired 10 air hostesses for being overweight after they failed to get back in shape three years after they were switched to ground crew jobs.