Whether it’s Kevin Smith being booted from a flight for his girth or a slender passenger being bumped to make room for a larger passenger, the issue of being overweight on a plane has become a hot button issue. And now comes a report that Turkish Airlines has grounded 28 flight attendants for being too heavy.

According to reports, the airline has given the attendants six months of unpaid leave to make weight or face reassignment.

The airline says that all 28 attendants (15 males, 13 females) had been given warnings about their size in the past. .

“Weight and height are important factors at all airlines. These criteria are important both in terms of appearance and the ability to move about,” reads a statement from Turkish Airlines, the fourth largest carrier in Europe by passenger volume.

One attendant was told he needs to lose 22 pounds to get to a weight of around 212 pounds before he can return to work.

What do you think is the airline’s primary goal here: Having healthier, more fit attendants or having more physically attractive attendants?

Airlines grounds overweight staff: paper [Reuters via Jaunted]

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