JAKARTA - Chinese airline Hainan Airlines maintains the weight requirements imposed on flight attendants, although reports of the new policy went viral on social media and sparked public reactions.
State media initially reported that one of the largest airlines in the Bamboo Curtain Country introduced a new policy in early June that threatened to ban female flight attendants if their weight exceeded the "standard limit".
Global Times state media said the rules were part of a broader set of guidelines on appearances issued for cabin crew, with a'standard' weight calculated by height.
For example, a cabin crew with a height of 158 centimeters (5.1 feet) a high average of Chinese adult women will be asked to remain in the range of 48 kilograms (105 pounds).
Flight attendants that are less than 5 percent above these standards will be monitored for their body weight every month and undergo a review. Meanwhile, those who weigh 10 percent above the standard will soon be suspended and put into a company-supervised "weight reduction plan", the Global Times reported.
In his confirmation to CNN as quoted July 1, Hainan Airlines said they used a "heavy reference standard", but said it applies to all flight attendants regardless of gender.
The airline also said the measure "cannot be interpreted as a simple criterion for dismissing flight attendants as some media has done."
The standard is "based on reference to human weight standards and matched to measurements of a healthy weight range for crews," the airline said, adding the rules were used to evaluate and manage "health, physical shape and crew posture."
"This is intended to promote healthy living habits and maintain a healthy professional and physical image by setting a reference target, rather than passively waiting for crew members to change significantly and then affect safety service work," explained the airline.
Various responses have emerged in cyberspace, with Chinese social media users reacting to initial reports by state media with criticism of what they see as a reflection of gender norms in the country.
"I just want flight attendants to have qualified professional knowledge, be well trained in safety procedures, and wear the most appropriate shoes and clothes for emergencies. Body weight is none of my business," reads one of Weibo's top comments.
Some users show that being a flight attendant is a physically demanding job that should prioritize employee strength and stamina, rather than maintaining weight - especially in emergency situations, where cabin crew are responsible for maintaining passenger safety.
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Other Asian airlines have made headlines in recent years for imposing weight rules on cabin crews.
In 2015, Air India asked 125 flight attendants to lose weight. Meanwhile, Pakistan's national airline ordered cabin crew to comply with the weight limit or face a flight ban in 2019.
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