Chinese airline defends flight attendant weight restrictions after backlash

Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines has defended imposing weight requirements on flight attendants after reports of the new policy went viral on social media and sparked a public backlash. State media initially reported that the airline, one of the country’s biggest, introduced a new policy in early June that threatened to ground female attendants if their weight exceeded the “standard limit.” The rule was part of a series of broader guidelines on appearance issued to cabin crew, with the “standard” weight calculated by height, according to state-run Global Times. For instance, an attendant measuring 158 centimeters – the average height of a Chinese adult woman – would be required to stay within 48 kilograms. Flight attendants who are less than 5% over that standard will have their weight monitored monthly and undergo a review, while those weighing 10% over the standard will be immediately suspended and put on a “weight reduction plan” supervised by the company, Global Times reported On Monday, Hainan Airlines confirmed that they used a “weight reference standard” – but said it applied to all flight attendants regardless of gender.<br/>