It’s common practice for passengers to be refused boarding of an aircraft due to their luggage being overweight, but an airline in China has taken weight checks to a whole other level.
Hainan Airlines will ground female flight attendants who are 10 per cent ‘overweight’.
A new policy reported in local media says a crew member will be instantly grounded if their weight exceeds the stated standard limit by 10 per cent.
The weight control rules were stated in the latest style guide issued by the airline. Most airlines provide these guides, or rules to their staff and they can be updated at any time.
A civil aviation employee told Global News that, Hainan Airlines’ weight requirement was “unprecedented in the domestic aviation industry.”
The airline’s reasoning for the restrictions was for it to maintain a professional image, and that crew represent the airline on the front line.
The formula used by the airline goes as follows:
Height (cm) -110= standard weight (kg)
For example:
- A crew member weighing 158 cm, the average height of a woman in China, her expected standard weight would be 48kgs
- Someone standing 180 cm high should weigh just 70 kg.
- The average weight of all females between 18-69 in China is 59.5kg.
For any female crew who are less than 5 per cent overweight, the company suggests they monitor their weight on a monthly basis.
The change is unlikely to help the airline recruit more staff. Staff it desperately needs.
Hainan Airlines recently told Reuters it was aiming to employ 1000 flight attendants this year.
