Size 12 Emirates flight attendant claims she quit her job after being made to undergo weight checks and advised to change her diet because she was ‘too heavy’ at 10st 7lbs
- Duygu Karaman, from High Wycombe, has quit working for Emirates airline
- Air hostess, 37, claims she was given random weight checks before flights
- Was put on a weight management programme despite being a size UK 12
An Emirates air hostess has claimed she quit her 10-year career after having to spend three years on a weight management programme, which involved having random weight checks before flights.
Duygu Karaman, 37, who lives in High Wycombe, said in the last three years of her time working for the airline she had her body size monitored because an anonymous colleague had complained that she was ‘too heavy’.
She explained that despite being a size 12, weighing 10st 7lbs, the Middle Eastern airline began tracking her BMI and would be pulled aside at random for weight checks before flights.
The air hostess claims Emirates airline put her on a weight management programme because she was 2kg over its requirements.
Duygu Karaman, 37, (pictured) who lives in High Wycombe, claims Emirates airline put her on a weight management programme for three years after an anonymous colleague complained about her body size
Duygu (pictured) claims the nutritional department advised her to avoid eating rice and bread to shed weight, despite being a size 12
Duygu told The Mirror that the nutritional department didn’t give much advice, saying: ‘They give you an A4 piece of paper which just said: “Don’t eat rice, don’t eat bread”. Stuff like that.
‘It was stuff everybody knows like sleep regularly, which I can’t do because of the job.’
The air hostess, who worked for Emirates airline for 10 years, explained that her weight would fluctuate and the random checks would leave her upset.
She said employees were expected to go a year at the required weight before being removed from the weight management programme, however each time she gained one or two kilos she was placed back on zero months.
Duygu (pictured) claims the weight management programme requires staff to meet the requirement at checks for a year before they can be removed
Duygu (pictured) said she wasn’t told a specific weight to maintain before starting her job, but was advised to maintain good health and physical appearance
Duygu claims other employees also had their weight monitored, with one air hostess having a tummy tuck to meet the requirements against their doctor’s advice and another having their salary reduced because of weight issues.
The flight attendant explained that Emirates airline have a strict grooming policy and claims they don’t have older members of cabin crew because they want ‘pretty looking people’.
She said a specific weight wasn’t advised when she began her job at the fourth largest airline in the world, however she was told to maintain good health and physical appearance.
Duygu (pictured), who is studying to become a dietician, claims one colleague had a tummy tuck against their doctor’s advice to obtain Emirates airline’s weight standards
The air hostess claims her weight didn’t prevent her from doing her job and argues Emirates airline should drop their weight management programme.
Now studying at the University of Reading to become a dietician, Duygu added that she thinks she stayed too long in the job and is happier since resigning.
An Emirates airline responded to Duygu’s claims of undergoing weight checks for three of her 10 years with the company, saying: ‘As a global airline, we treat the wellbeing of our employees with the highest priority, and we believe being fit and healthy, both physically and mentally, is an important aspect in them carrying out their duties safely and effectively.
‘We’re proud of our colleagues who form Emirates’ cabin crew and are working in safety critical roles to maintain the quality of operations and service Emirates is known for.
‘We do not comment on specific, confidential cases of existing or past employees.’