British Airways Suspends 2 Staff Members For Body-Shaming Flight Attendant

Two crew members flying for British Airways have been suspended from their duties after rude and unprofessional comments regarding a colleague’s weight, made in a private messaging group, were brought to the airline management’s attention. The incident is currently under investigation.

The incident

Being professional is an integral part of working within the aviation industry, not just for the airline’s customers, but the level of professionalism is paramount among an airline’s staff as well. Thus, it comes as no surprise that British Airways, upon learning of the hurtful comments made by two of its staff members in a private group chat on WhatsApp, immediately suspended the crew members from their duties.

The Standard reports that the two crew members involved mocked and made cruel comments regarding a colleague’s weight. The nature of the texts was shocking enough for a group member to report this misconduct to the airline management.

Reports suggest that the colleague in question was targeted by the two crew members, who made merciless comments. The airline considers this bullying and has zero tolerance for it. British Airways has partnered with multiple trade unions and the Department of Trade and Industry since 2005 to identify and eradicate workplace harassment or bullying.

Minimums but no maximum

Considering the need to perform manual tasks as a cabin crew member onboard an aircraft, the airline has set certain minimum requirements, such as height. The airline’s crew recruitment page states that their crew members must have a minimum height of 1.575 meters and must be able to reach a vertical height of 2.01 meters in order to perform tasks such as overhead locker checks.

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Height restrictions are placed on cabin crew so that they can reach overhead compartments, and carry out safety procedures.

The airline does not have minimum or maximum weight limitations and only states that crew members must pass the functionality check, which ensures they can safely perform the required tasks onboard.

Photo: British Airways

Apart from the minimum height and vertical reach, the airline also checks applicants’ diagonal reach as part of the functionality check before they are selected as crew members.

The diagonal reach ensures the cabin crew will be capable of manually releasing the evacuation slide of the aircraft in the event of an emergency. The crew members must be able to hold a handle with their right arm and reach down to touch a tag located on the floor with their left hand. During the maneuver, the crew’s right arm will be at the 2 o’clock position and the left arm at the 7 o’clock position while bending or squatting.

They are responsible for your safety

Often, passengers flying might not be fully aware of the importance of crew members and the duties they carry out. From the time passengers board until they disembark the aircraft at the destination, crew members have various important duties that ensure smooth customer experiences and, more importantly – flight safety.

Photo: British Airways

Consider events such as the Japan Airlines A350 collision incident earlier this year, which highlights the effectiveness and functionality of the duties performed by the cabin crew members every day onboard thousands of flights.

Because of highly trained and skilled crew members working in synergy during the Japan Airlines incident, the entire aircraft was safely evacuated without any passenger causality, despite the significant damage caused during the accident.

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Japan Airlines Airbus A350 Lands Engulfed In Flames In Tokyo

The plane collided with a Coast Guard aircraft upon landing.

The takeaway here is to always be nice and respectful towards the cabin crew members, whether you are a passenger or another crew member yourself.