Qantas Airways said it is seeking permission to reduce the size of its cabin crews to compete with potential no-frills competitors.
The airline said it is asking the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority to allow it to assign one flight attendant for every 50 passengers, down from the current requirement of one attendant to 36 travellers.
Qantas said it had no immediate plans to cut flight attendant levels and had only made the request so that in future the airline could compete if a competitor entered the Australian market with a no-frills service.
Other major airlines, including Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, British Airways and Air New Zealand, operate under the 1:50 ratio, it said.
Mr David Forsyth, Qantas executive general manager of operations, said emergency evacuation testing had shown that a staff ratio of one to every 50 passengers is adequate.
The Flight Attendants' Association of Australia (FAAA) criticised the move, saying it would reduce in-flight safety.
"Until we see evidence showing there is no safety risk in reducing cabin crews, our members will remain opposed to this proposal," FAAA national secretary Johanna Brem said.
PA