Malaysia Airlines flight attendant loses unfair dismissal case after being fired for being 700g overweight

A Malaysia Airlines flight attendant has lost her unfair dismissal case against the company after she was fired for being 700 grams "overweight".

Ina Meliesa Hassim was just above the Body Mass Index (BMI) that was deemed "healthy" to continue with the airline.

She is 160cm tall and had to stay below 61kg as stipulated in the company's new grooming manual. She weighed in at 61.7kg in 2015.

Hassim had been working for Malaysia Airlines for 25 years before being dismissed in 2017.

The airline had argued that Hassim had been given 18 months to conform to the new rules, and that she had failed to turn up to several scheduled weigh-ins.

An industrial court ruled in favour of the airline, reports The Edge Markets.

"The weight management programme was in no way discriminatory as it applies among all crew and the company had at all times ensured that the claimant and all its crew were accorded every opportunity possible to achieve their optimum weight," read the judgement.

Many experts argue that the BMI is not an accurate health measure.

People with small frames, large frames, muscular and athletic people, can fall into the "overweight" or obese categories all too easily.