Weight and BMI pertaining foreign airlines
09-30-2012, 10:21 AM
#1
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Jun 2012
Posts: 131
Weight and BMI pertaining foreign airlines
Hi
I have read on different occasions on this forum that Asian airlines are concerned about weight and BMI of potential candidate. Is it true that Emirates wants their pilot to be under 85 Kg in weight? I did not find anything referring to weight in their website so can someone please chime in who knows?
I understand that pilots need to be presentable and height and weight proportion; but what if someone is buff with muscles and weighs more than 85 Kg?
Going through the forum, "Korupilot" mentioned in one of the posts that Korean Airlines and other Asian airlines would want to see their potential pilots under 30 BMI; can someone working as a pilot in Korean or other Asian Airlines tell their experience?
Thank you
I have read on different occasions on this forum that Asian airlines are concerned about weight and BMI of potential candidate. Is it true that Emirates wants their pilot to be under 85 Kg in weight? I did not find anything referring to weight in their website so can someone please chime in who knows?
I understand that pilots need to be presentable and height and weight proportion; but what if someone is buff with muscles and weighs more than 85 Kg?
Going through the forum, "Korupilot" mentioned in one of the posts that Korean Airlines and other Asian airlines would want to see their potential pilots under 30 BMI; can someone working as a pilot in Korean or other Asian Airlines tell their experience?
Thank you
09-30-2012, 11:00 AM
#2
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2008
Position: The Far Side
Posts: 968
GC, I can tell you that the two Chinese airlines I interviewed with did measure BMI. I was well within anyone's guideline so I can't say much about limits (ask me about age, sometime, though 
). The Indian medical folks also measured it, but it wouldn't of itself be a showstopper there.
Showing up visibly overweight for a Chinese medical would put you at a pretty severe disadvantage, IMO. I don't know what they'd do with the classic problem of an extremely fit, well-muscled fellow who exceeds BMI guidelines but is in fact in outstanding shape.
). The Indian medical folks also measured it, but it wouldn't of itself be a showstopper there.Showing up visibly overweight for a Chinese medical would put you at a pretty severe disadvantage, IMO. I don't know what they'd do with the classic problem of an extremely fit, well-muscled fellow who exceeds BMI guidelines but is in fact in outstanding shape.
09-30-2012, 12:03 PM
#3
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Joined APC: Dec 2007
Position: 747 captain
Posts: 1,549
There have been cases of very fit individuals beeing put through additional tests because they had numbers that were out of parameters, one of our pilots is an athlet and he needs to stop training a week before every medical as to not have any lactic acid in his system for example. You can be over a BMI of 30 once you are hired but if you let your weight go then there are many additional tests, we had a pilot that was walking around with a heart monitor for two days as part of his over 60 medical requirements and because he was at a BMI of 32 I believe, they failed him on his medical and the last I heard is that they will give him another go but he has to go on a diet. Over 60% for what one of the recruiters told me fail the pre employment medical check.
09-30-2012, 02:37 PM
#4
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Joined APC: Jul 2007
Position: 744 FO
Posts: 39
We had a guy in my class at JALways that was a former body builder that had to lose weight because of BMI before every medical. He is about 180 cm tall. He has since gone to Emerites and hasn't had any BMI issues there as far as I know, but in J-land...maybe no good.
