Airlines / AI · Grooming
Air India — Appearance & Grooming
Being reset along with everything else at the airline. The Tata-era relaunch brought a new Manish Malhotra uniform and a sharper, five-star grooming aspiration, screened in person at on-site assessments.
Grooming · Air India
- Hair
- Female crew wear hair up in a neat, secured style in a natural colour; male crew keep a short cut above the collar. Grooming is verified on site alongside height and BMI.
- Make-up
- Expected and conventional, matched to the airline's new palette. The ex-Vistara integration pulled the standard toward a sharper, more polished look than legacy Air India ran.
- Facial hair
- Male crew are expected clean-shaven. Indian carriers routinely accommodate Sikh crew who keep a beard and turban, but Air India does not publish the exemption — agree it with recruitment before the assessment rather than on the day.
- Nails
- Short, clean and neatly filed with neutral or uniform-matched polish; nothing extended or decorated.
- Glasses & contacts
- Air India publishes no spectacle ban, and the DGCA medical accepts corrected vision. Plain frames are fine at an assessment.
- Piercings
- One pair of small earlobe studs for female crew. A small nose stud is common in India but is not covered by the published standard, so confirm with recruitment rather than assume.
- Jewellery
- Minimal and plain — the issued badge, a watch, a wedding band and small studs.
- Tattoos in uniform
- Nothing may be visible in any uniform variant, and Air India now has more than one — sari, tunic and trouser options each expose different areas. Treat forearms, wrists, hands and neck as out.
- Headscarf
- Air India does not publish a headscarf option for cabin crew. Ask the recruitment team directly.
- Uniform
- The Manish Malhotra collection introduced from 2024, in the airline's new red and gold palette, with sari and tailored trouser options for female crew and a structured suit for male crew.
- Weight & proportion
- Air India publishes a BMI-in-range requirement and checks it at the on-site screening alongside height. Take the range from the airline's own notice for the intake you are applying to.
Grooming rules change more often than any other requirement. Verify them on the airline's official careers page before you buy anything or book a hair appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Can you have tattoos as Air India cabin crew?
No tattoos may be visible in any uniform variant. With sari, tunic and trouser options in the new wardrobe, treat forearms, wrists, hands and neck as disqualifying placements.
What is the Air India cabin crew uniform?
A Manish Malhotra-designed collection introduced from 2024 in the airline's new red and gold palette, with sari and tailored trouser options.
Does Air India check BMI?
Yes — height and BMI are verified at the on-site screening. The prescribed range comes from Air India's own recruitment notice, so read the one for your intake.