Airline bars its stewardesses from putting on weight

IT HAS long prided itself on the beauty and elegance of its stewardesses.

Now the strict rules that Singapore Airlines imposes to ensure they live up to the image have been revealed.

During their 14-week training programme, ‘Singapore girls’ are warned not to gain weight and told how to walk, talk and look right for the job.

The airline recruits 1,000 stewards and stewardesses every year. The stewardesses are given ‘grooming lessons’ during their training, in which they are taught how to put on make-up and which hairstyles they are allowed, according to a TV documentary.

They are also given their uniform of a blue kebaya – a traditional dress worn in south-east Asian countries – which they must always be able to fit into, even after having children.

Juat Fang Foo, cabin crew training manager for the airline, said: ‘We do have a returning mothers scheme, but of course when they come back they must be able to fit into the uniform because I think that would be the expectation of the customer. If they don’t, they would have to lose the weight.’

The airline’s stewardesses have been known as ‘Singapore girls’ since Britishborn advertising boss Ian Batey came up with a campaign to market it to Western customers in the 1970s. The documentary, The World’s Most Luxurious Airline, is on Channel 4 on Monday at 9pm.