Broke Mexicana stewardesses launch racy calendar

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The stewardesses paid out of their own pockets to cover production costs

Female flight attendants from ailing Mexican airline Mexicana have launched a racy aviation calendar in an attempt to ease their financial worries.

The 2011 calendar features the 10 women clad in bikinis and sunglasses draped over parts of an aircraft. Its first run sold out before the launch.
The women said they wanted to help themselves after losing so much.
The airline, which has debts of about $800m (£500m), filed for bankruptcy in August and has suspended operations.
The calendar has evoked comparisons with the 1997 film The Full Monty, in which a group of unemployed British steelworkers organise a striptease act.
"It occurred to me because we all needed money, and I thought that with so many pretty girls there were bound to be some who'd be interested," said organiser Coral Perez, quoted by the Associated Press news agency.

Mexicana has proposed cutting salaries and staff

The 10 stewardesses each paid some money out of their own pockets towards the 100,000 peso ($8,000) production costs.
A thousand copies of the $12 (£7.50) calendar have already been sold, and a second edition of 3,000 is being produced.
The 89-year-old airline suffered heavy losses because of Mexico's recession in 2009 and an outbreak of swine flu the same year which caused a sharp fall in tourism.
After filing for bankruptcy protection Mexicana proposed deep pay cuts for pilots and crew, as well as a 40% reduction in the workforce.