Pakistan’s national airline, Pakistan International Airlines, has reportedly instructed heavy flight crew members to lose weight in the first six months of 2019 or risk being grounded.
Not that you can expect any pushback from feminists or social justice warriors in the Muslim majority South Asian country whining about body shaming.
And while that might be another story in other parts of the world, given the tight space restrictions on a given flight, if any industry is justified in taking an active interest in the size of its employees, it may be airlines.
After all, we all know how narrow those aisles are!
Either way, routine weigh-ins for flight attendants are now the order of the day.
More from Fox News:
On Jan. 2, Pakistani outlet ARY News published a memo detailing that management for the airline has decided to “gradually reduce waiver of 30 lbs. excess weight to zero lbs. in upcoming months for the cabin crew.”
“If any crew found above 30 lbs. from the desired weight after 31st Jan, 2019, will be grounded and referred to Air Crew Medical Center for medical evaluation & treatment until weight is reduced up to desired standard/BMI,” the memo reads. “Henceforth, weight check of all the cabin crew will be carried out at their base stations respectively and comprehensive data will be maintained for perusal of management.”
PIA spokesperson Mashhood Tajwar described the mandate as a “regular, routine matter,” and said it will require around 100 cabin crew members to lose weight by July 1, according to Fox News.
“No one would like to have shabby crew in the aircraft,” Tajwar said, which suggests restricted space is not the only factor at play.
While there are some who say employers should have the right to have grooming requirements in place for employees, in an age where “body shaming” is a thing and plus size women celebrate their “self-love,” there are plenty who feel otherwise.
There was a time when Disney had strict appearance guidelines in place that governed cast members in “on-stage” positions, where they would be visible to theme park guests. And while those restrictions are now relaxed, they still exist.
Some on social media argue that this is a sign that the airline cares about its employees, others say that most airlines have similar policies. A few even suggested it was a move to save fuel.
Here’s a sampling of responses from Twitter:
All airlines have weight requirements.
— Armanda de Andrade (@ArmandaAndrade) January 6, 2019
They care about their employees health ??♀️
— Rachel (@Worldofclones) January 6, 2019
When I was younger ( I’m 74) to work for an airline you couldn’t exceed a certain weight because of weight restrictions for the plane. This is NOT political.
— Marilyn G. Pentel (@MannerlyManners) January 4, 2019
Terrible information for workers . Is this the proper way of communicating with employees at work. Absolutely no .
— Bernard K. Zelamula (@Jovinkahangwa) January 4, 2019
Can they just take the extra baggage fee out of their paychecks?
— Amy West-Ashley (@Amynicole0116) January 4, 2019
I was on a Delta flight from Shanghai to Atlanta last month. My stewardess was fairly overweight and smashed into my arm at least 30 times on the 14 hour flight. All airlines should have weight restrictions for flight attendants ?♂️
— James Boyer (@usmcboyer) January 4, 2019
No companies should force their staffs to loose weight or be grounded because we are created differently.The company should first of all provide them with doctors to check on their health status bf enforcing the law. Don’t take their job away, please.
— Queen Yusuf hajara (@QHajara) January 4, 2019
It’s to save on fuel. That’s reasonable.
— GameChanger FBPE (@GameChangerGirl) January 4, 2019
The suggested weight for a “medium frame” 5′ 7″ tall woman is reportedly 133 to 147 pounds, according to a suggested weight chart.
That this mandate came one day before Pakistan announced an endeavor to revive PIA as a profitable institution is open to interpretation.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed to evolve a comprehensive business plan to revive Pakistan International Airlines as a profitable institution.
He said this while chairing a meeting held to review the ongoing reforms in Pakistan International Airlines in Islamabad. pic.twitter.com/ElWUW9oovp— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) January 2, 2019
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.
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