Being a flight attendant is not a simple task. Serving hundreds of people on board an aircraft, constant pressure, and long hours standing on your feet make the job particularly challenging. Naturally, with the level of responsibility involved, there is serious training required by all airlines around the world. However, it turns out that some airlines have rather unusual and sometimes even illegitimate requirements in order to be hired.
Gulf Air:
The prestigious airline company did not make life easy for its flight attendants. According to the airline's regulations, all flight attendants must have a "single" status, and those who wish to get married during their employment must inform the company in advance and request permission to marry.
Qatar Airways:
If Gulf Air's requirements sounded extraordinary to you, wait until you hear what the national airline of Qatar demands. Not only do you need to seek the company's approval to get married, but female flight attendants are also prohibited from getting pregnant during their employment, and if they do, they will be dismissed. Despite previous criticism from the United Nations for its strict and invasive regulations, the company continued its practices.
Air India
The national airline of India wanted to showcase the beautiful faces of the country on their airplanes and decided that all flight attendants should have an "attractive" appearance. How do they determine this? Although beauty is subjective, Air India has formulated explicit instructions for this. The main requirement in the company is that all flight attendants must be slim and maintain the upper limit of the normal weight range according to the BMI index. Those who deviate from these regulations may be dismissed.
Emirates
The national airline of Dubai has always been known for its strict rules for employees, and here too, the flight attendants are required to comply. The company has established that they are not allowed to become pregnant within the first three years of their employment, or they will be dismissed.
British Airways
And now, let's move straight to Britain. The national airline of the kingdom has decided that all crews must know how to swim. Perhaps it sounds like a legitimate requirement, but it doesn't end there. The accepted crews were required to train during their service to provide assistance to passengers in the sea and were required to dive for 3 minutes. What can we say? The important thing is that they didn't crash.
LATAM Airlines
Are they also planning to surpass everyone? The Brazilian airline is considered one of the largest and most famous in South America. Despite the prestige and high safety standards, it seems that the company does not take risks and ensures that all flight attendants know how to handle a crash. Due to South America's typical terrain, which includes many jungles, the company decided that all flight attendants must undergo an intensive and unique survival course in the jungle.
Thai Airways
Thai Airways has specific requirements for its flight attendants. They must be under the age of 24 and single without children. It seems that Thai Airways believes that the first two years of service are so busy that having a family would likely be too much.
American Airlines
Despite the majority of American society suffering from obesity, it seems this doesn't bother American Airlines when it comes to selecting some of their candidates. The airline requires their flight attendants to be a specific weight and height, meaning they must be slim. Additionally, the attendants are expected to maintain physical fitness throughout their time working for the company. According to American Airlines, the requirement to maintain a slim body is legitimate, as at times, the attendants may need to pass through narrow areas.
