Chinese airline criticized over strict weight rules for female flight attendants

A Chinese airline has been criticized over a new policy imposing strict weight requirements on female flight attendants.

Early this month, Hainan Airlines issued guidelines to its cabin crew stating that female flight attendants would be immediately grounded if their weight exceeded the “standard limit” by 10%, the state newspaper Global Times reported.

The guidelines included a formula for calculating that limit based on height and said flight attendants who were suspended would be put on a company-supervised “weight reduction plan.”

The airline, which is one of the biggest in China, also emphasized the importance of female flight attendants’ appearance for the company’s image, the report added.

Hainan Airlines did not respond to requests for comment.

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