The buxom babe on the side of your airplane

This controversy was a no-brainer that any casual observer could have spotted coming down the runway:

Orlando-based AirTran, which has its largest hub in Atlanta, has adorned one of its Boeing 737 jets with the image of a swimsuit-clad woman in heels, as part of a partnership with Sports Illustrated for the magazine’s swimsuit edition.

The promotion is ending and AirTran will remove the image from the plane soon,  spokesman Christopher White said.

The AJC has learned that the Association of Flight Attendants at AirTran voiced its objections in a message to members.

“It is our feeling that this is not only contrary to the family image that this company tries to promote, but also potentially offensive to their female employees, the majority of their flight attendants who will have to work on this aircraft,” the union said, adding that it “creates a potential for verbal abuse by male passengers.”

VF Daily refers to the flight attendants’ complaints as having to do with “moral folly.” Tasteless? Maybe. Even that’s probably a stretch. Opening flight attendants up to treatment that might resemble old stereotypes. Maybe too. But moral folly … did I miss something?