She is Asian, wears a figure-hugging uniform, smiles gently, and looks nowhere near her 35 years. Now the Singapore Girl, an airline industry icon, may be about to get a more contemporary look.

In one of the world's longest running advertising campaigns, Singapore Airlines' flight attendants have become instantly recognisable corporate symbols and are the focus of the Southeast Asian carrier's advertising.

But the advertising firm that created the campaign and the slogan "Singapore Girl - You're a great way to fly", now faces the risk of losing the lucrative deal.

This month, Singapore Airlines invited rivals of Batey Ads, which has held the contract since the airline was formed in 1972, to submit bids and the outcome could change the Singapore Girl.

Despite her success, critics complain the Singapore Girl concept is sexist, outmoded and largely intended to serve male passengers' fantasies of desirable, subservient Oriental women.

Singapore newspaper The Straits Times once quoted a Qantas Airways chairman referring to the campaign as "massage parlour in the sky ads".

But Richard Pinkham of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation in Singapore said that while the girl image may be outdated, much of the airline's cachet is a result of its cabin crew.

"It's possible that they will de-emphasise the name it is a bit passe to refer to professional women as 'girls' but maintain the flight attendant image as a central point of focus in their advertising. It certainly does capture attention more than a photo of a chair would."

Not Sexist

Recent adverts for Singapore Airlines have focused on the airline's ultra-modern aircraft, updated seats and inflight food. But the perfectly groomed Singapore Girl still features prominently, gently covering a sleeping passenger or offering meals.

Former flight attendants reject the sexism charge and many take pride in a profession that lost much of its glamour since air travel became an everyday phenomenon.

One ex-Singapore Girl who asked to be identified only as Nancy said the airline should hold on to the campaign and not "put their crew into dull business suits".

Nine out of ten of the female cabin crew are Singaporean or Malaysian, while the remainder are hired from China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea and Taiwan for language skills.

They follow strict rules, down to the way they wear long hair never loose and the colour of nail varnish or lipstick.

Photograph: Singapore Girls pose for a photo before the SIA Cup horse race in May last year. In one of the world's longest running advertising campaigns, the flight attendants have become instantly recognisable corporate symbols and are the focus of the Southeast Asian carrier's advertising. [Reuters]