Controversy Surrounds Hainan Airlines’ Weight Policies for Female Flight Attendants

Hainan Airlines, one of China’s leading airlines, has sparked a public outcry over its new policy that imposes strict weight requirements on female flight attendants.

According to a guideline issued by the airline in early June, female flight attendants will be immediately grounded if their weight exceeds the “standard limit” by 10%, the state newspaper Global Times reported.

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

The airline said that the policy was based on the importance of maintaining a professional image and enhancing customer satisfaction.

However, the policy was met with criticism and ridicule online, as well as questions about its legality and necessity.

Many social media users in China slammed the policy as “discriminatory”, “unreasonable” and “ridiculous”.

Some commented that the weight of flight attendants had nothing to do with their professionalism and safety skills, while others joked that the airline should also impose weight limits on passengers and pilots.

A lawyer in Dalian, China, who specializes in labor law disputes and civil rights, told NBC News that the policy was “very inappropriate and obviously illegal in China” and could constitute employment discrimination.

He said that China had abolished national legislation allowing weight standards for flight attendants in 2001, and that the airline could only implement such a policy if it obtained the consent of every employee in advance.

A civil aviation employee told Global Times that Hainan Airlines’ weight requirement for female flight attendants was unprecedented in the domestic aviation industry.

Hainan Airlines did not respond to requests for comment.

Hainan Airlines is the fourth-largest airline in China by fleet size and operates flights to domestic and international destinations. It is known for its high-quality service and has been awarded five stars by Skytrax, a global airline rating agency.