It's not easy to be an SIA Singapore Girl
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The advertisement mentions just a few of the requirements for Singapore Airlines (SIA) cabin crew: Female, aged below 25, university graduate, minimum height of 158 centimeters, high level of spoken English and good vision.
But the image and reputation of the Singapore Girl demands more than that.
"The Singapore Girl epitomizes Asian hospitality and Singapore Airlines' tradition of friendly service," Glory Henriette, the carrier's public relations manager, said on Friday.
Thus, she said, the Singapore Girl must have a certain look.
"Their body must be in proportion. If they get fat, their uniform won't fit," she said, adding that although the uniforms were tailor-made, the company was not interested in providing uniforms for women who had disproportional bodies.
This week, SIA's office in Indonesia recruited 15 Indonesian girls as cabin crew, dubbed Singapore Girls.
"We actually accepted 18 girls. But only 15 of them obtained work permits from the Singaporean manpower ministry. Meanwhile, one of them failed because she has a tattoo on an area that the uniform does not cover," Glory said, adding that the tattoo was not in line with the graceful Singapore Girl image.
Before working onboard, the girls first have to undergo 15 weeks of training in SIA's training center in Singapore, where they will learn how to behave like a Singapore Girl.
They will be versed in etiquette, personal grooming, passenger handling skills, meal service procedures, first aid and safety procedures for different types of aircraft.
"Singapore Girls must have Asian hospitality, charm and grace. They symbolize our in-flight service. They should be customer-service oriented and have a pleasant disposition and warm personality," Glory added.
Once the new recruits become cabin crew, they are bound to a five-year contract, under which they agree not to have a child within the period.
"They cannot do anything that will downgrade the Singapore Girl image. They have to work out to keep in shape," Glory said.
Renowned for its good service, SIA relies on its flight attendants, especially the female ones, to market its services.
The beautiful, usually oriental-looking Singapore Girl donning a long batik skirt and traditional kebaya (blouse) -- designed by Parisian Pierre Balmain in 1972 -- is rarely absent from SIA's advertisements.
Thus, the carrier provides more flight attendants than aviation regulations requires.
"We don't want to neglect even a single passenger," Glory said.
The latest data shows that SIA has about 6,300 cabin crew, 90 percent of whom are either Singaporean or Malaysian.
The remaining 10 percent are from China, India, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Indonesia, which is home to 144 attendants, aside from the latest recruits.
One third of the crew are male, according to SIA Indonesia's general manager Hew Chuen Chiet.
SIA flies to 60 cities in five continents and has seen a healthy growth in passenger numbers, Hew added.