About 130 flight attendants of government-run carrier Air India may be barred from in-flight duties on grounds of being "overweight" according to parameters set by industry regulator DGCA, reported The Telegraph.

This comes after the aviation regulator refused to compromise on the weight standards it had introduced two years ago for reasons relating to "technicality and efficiency”.

"The option before us now is either to ground the cabin crew members falling short of the weight standards or to ask them to opt for voluntary retirement," a senior official in the personnel department of Air India told The Telegraph.

Deeming the regulator’s stand as disheartening, Vishakha Verma of the All India Cabin Crew Association, said the contemplated a legal fight against the decision.

 "I did try to reduce but could not bring down my weight significantly. Linking one's efficiency merely to BMI is grossly wrong and unfair," the newspaper quoted a 43-year-old air hostess based in Mumbai as saying.

She said she only managed to lose only 2 kgs as opposed to 12 kgs as prescribed by the new regulation.