Airline bans obese passengers, young kids from business class on new planes
Obese passengers and parents with young children have been banned from flying business class in a Thai airline's luxury new aircrafts.
After adding two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircrafts to its fleet in September, Thai Airways International said passengers with waistlines that exceeded 142cm would not be able to travel in business class as a consequence of the installation of seat belt airbags
The national carrier said passengers would not be able to fasten the new seatbelts and would ultimately be breaking US Federal Aviation Administration safety standards.
The airline reiterated that the seatbelt could not be extended as a result of the airbags, which were introduced to protect passengers in an emergency situation.
The new safety measures also means passengers in those seats would not be able to carry infants on their laps.
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The ban comes after Finnair last year began weighing passengers before they boarded the plane.
The airline said by working out a more accurate estimation of the weight going on the aircraft, they will be able to streamline their operating costs.
The European Aviation Safety Agency lists the average weight of male and female passengers at 84kg and 64kg respectively but the Finnish population tend to be slightly higher at 85 kilograms for males and 70 kilograms for females.
The airline decided to conduct its own report, surveying 2000 voluntary passengers to gain more current figures on passenger’s weight.
