A Chinese airline is doubling down after facing backlash on its weight restrictions for flight attendants
- Hainan Airlines' new weight policy for flight attendants caused controversy this month.
- The guideline requires flight attendants deemed more than 10% overweight to lose weight within a month.
China's Hainan Airlines is not backing down from its controversial weight restrictions for flight attendants.
According to CNN, the airline spurred controversy this month when it announced via Chinese state media that female flight attendants surpassing the "standard limit" would be grounded.
Per Shanghai Daily, the company uses a height-to-weight formula to calculate whether or not a flight attendant is overweight.
If the flight attendant is more than 5% overweight but less than 10%, the company will give them 30 days to drop the pounds, and they will also be subjected to weekly weight check-ins, according to the outlet. During that period, the flight attendant would be suspended from flying.
Despite the backlash it received, Hainan Airlines seemingly doubled down on its policy in a statement to CNN Monday.
An airline spokesperson said their guideline was "based on the standard human body weight reference and matched with the healthy weight range measurement for the crew." The spokesperson added that the rule monitors flight attendants' "health, physical shape and posture."
However, they clarified that the weight policies would be enforced on flight attendants of all genders and "cannot be interpreted as a simple criterion to suspend a flight attendant like some media did."
"This is intended to advocate healthy living habits and maintain a good professional image and healthy physique by anchoring the reference target, rather than passively waiting for individual crew members' physique to change significantly and then affect safety service work," the statement says.
Representatives for Hainan Airlines did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
This isn't the first time an airline has come under fire for weight policies.
In 2021, a former Emirates flight attendant told The Mirror her weight was randomly checked after another employee raised concern to the company.
In June, Australian airline Qantas loosened guidelines around flight attendant appearances. The airline announced that female flight attendants would no longer have to wear heels and allowed all flight attendants to wear makeup.