THAI defends bulging waistline ban on Dreamliners
Thai Airways International (THAI) has defended its move to ban people with a waistline of over 56 inches (142cm) from buying business class seats on its two Boeing 787-9 aircraft, saying the decision is purely based on safety considerations arising from the installation of new seat belt airbags.
The national carrier added the two Boeing Dreamliners to its fleet in September last year and the aircraft manufacturer has now installed a new airbag system on seat belts for business class seats.
This means that passengers with a waistline of over 56 inches are not able to fasten the straps, which is a requirement of US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety standards, Flt Lt Prathana Pattanasiri, vice president of THAI’s aviation safety, security and standards department said yesterday.
Passengers in those seats also cannot carry infants on their laps, he said.
The national airline has deployed the two Boeing 787-9 aircraft on a long-haul route to Auckland in New Zealand and on a shorter flight to Taipei.
A source at THAI said the airline had informed airline ticket agents to refrain from selling tickets to “larger” passengers from March 6.
These passengers, and those who want to carry infants on their laps, must book tickets in economy class instead because that section has normal seat belts, which can be extended as usual, the source noted.
Similar rules have been applied on other airlines, the source added.
Once customers reserve business class tickets on either of the two Boeing Dreamliners, another THAI source said, booking staff explain to passengers about the airbags and explain the maximum allowable waistline.
Meanwhile, Saree Ongsomwang, secretary-general of the Foundation for Consumers, said the seat belts amount to discriminatory treatment.
“No matter where you sit, regardless whether in cheap or expensive seats, equal safety must be in place,” said Ms Saree.