Qatar Airways is employing a new cabin crew nutritionist who will “evaluate and promote good eating habits” for flight attendants at the Doha-based carrier by establishing “health plans.”
Qatar Airways’ dietitians, according to an official job ad, are in charge of assessing staff health and devising “various techniques to tackle and address a healthy lifestyle for cabin crew.”
Although Qatar Airways is known for having some of the world’s tightest airline grooming standards, the nutritionist will not be in charge of cabin crew appearance but rather advise flight attendants on “foods to eat and foods to avoid.”
Emirates, another Gulf airline, is thought to still have an ‘appearance management program,’ in which cabin employees are subjected to periodical weigh-ins. Overweight cabin crew are grounded and put on diet and health regimens until they lose weight.
As we reported exclusively in 2018, so-called Uniform Standards Officers would prowl the corridors of Emirates’ crew report building at Dubai International Airport, picking out cabin crew for an unexpected weigh-in and measuring.
The cabin crew fitness and nutrition section was in charge of the contentious appearance management program.
Cabin crew who failed a weigh-in were supervised by a team of nutritionists and nurses, who gave them advice on how to reduce weight. Earlier this year, a former Emirates flight attendant claimed the practice was still in effect, referring to the perpetrators as the ‘weight police.’
Cabin personnel at Air India protested new body mass weight tests that uniform police would do on them just before reporting for a flight in January.
The cabin crew union, which represents Air India flight attendants, expressed concern that the checks might have a severe influence on a crew member’s mental health just as they’re ready to take on critical safety responsibilities.
Source: Crew Room