The Chinese airline company Hainan Airlines has set a maximum weight for flight attendants, exceeding which they will be fired from work. The calculation will be made according to the formula of height in centimeters minus 110, the Global Times reports.
A new requirement for the weight of flight attendants was added in early June 2023 to the airline’s guidelines for checking the professional appearance of crew members. Those whose weight exceeds the maximum prescribed by the formula by 10% or more will be immediately removed from flights. In the event of an excess of 5%, the flight attendants will be weighed again in a month, during which they will be strictly monitored.
The management of Hainan Airlines believes that controlling the weight of flight attendants is necessary to maintain the company’s image. Weight loss plans will be made for the crew members, and the medical staff will monitor their implementation.
Controlling the weight of flight attendants is an unprecedented decision for the local aviation industry that has raised concerns among legal experts. They have doubts that the introduction of such specific labor obligations without additional legal procedures can be called legal.