Air India Discontinues International Laundry Services for Flight Crew

NEW DELHI: This cost cutting move could potentially stink all the way from ground to the sky. Loss-making Air India has informed its flight crew that “routine availability of laundry services during international layovers will be discontinued from July 1, 2026.” The same will, however, continue at domestic layovers. Pilots and cabin crew give their uniforms for laundry at hotels while staying there so that they turn up for their next flight in a clean and crisp look and smelling fresh - so that they are the right brand ambassador for their airline while walking smartly at airports. But with Air India group incurring losses of thousands of crores last fiscal, all expense items are under the scanner. As part of that, international laundry facility will be stopped from next Wednesday. “We acknowledge that this represents a change from a long standing arrangement available to crew during international layovers and understand this may require some adjustment,” says a mail sent to pilots. As if to comfort crew members, the mail adds “arrangements have been made to ensure placement of an iron and ironing board in your room at the layover hotel. In addition crew members who foresee a requirement for additional uniform items may submit a request through (a) link,” the communication adds, while asking them to “plan accordingly for their layovers in light of this change.” AI has made an exception to the no laundry abroad rule. During “flight diversions and simulator/class trining related duties in international stations” laundry facilities will be provided. Now many crew members are wondering if they should plan to take a bucket, detergent, and clothes hanging wire on their international flights to wash and dry uniform during layovers. They are upset at the move. In response to this mail informing of the July 1 change, some pilots have replied saying: “Thank you for the update… (which) seems to defeat (outgoing CEO) Campbell (Wilson’s) vision to compete with Emirates, Etihad and Qatar (Airways).” Many crew members are now wondering what is prompting such decisions at the airline. “Whoever is running Air India, and if he or she has the expertise of running an airline, should see where things are really going wrong or at least not going right. Coming up with brilliant schemes like ‘cut international laundry’ is unlikely to make the Maharaja world class anytime soon,” said a senior crew member. AI founder and father of Indian aviation J R D Tata had said in 1970 while addressing his crew members, “We must know where to draw the line between the odd, the ridiculous and the attractive….” While that was said in the context of uniform choices for crew members, many senior crew members now plan to remind AI management of this line after the latter’s laundry decision.