Thai Airways ban fat passengers with waists over 56 inches from travelling in its business class

THAILAND'S national carrier Thai Airways International has introduced new laws banning passengers with waists bigger than 56 inches from the business class cabin of its Boeing 787-Dreamliner fleet.

In the first such clampdown of its type, the airline has banned overweight passengers from flying business class in what it is saying is a health and safety move. Thai Airways has fitted the safety belts in its premium cabin with airbags to meet strict requirements on passenger survivability, aimed at preventing travellers' heads impacting the back of the seat in front in the event of sudden deceleration.

However, overweight passengers with waists bigger than 56 inches will be too big to use the new device, so have been banned from the business section. Airbag manufacturer, AmSafe, said the device provides compliance for difficult to certify seat placements.

It describes the airbag as a self-contained, modular restraint system specifically designed to improve occupant protection from serious head-impact injury during a survivable aircraft crash and enhance the occupant’s ability to egress the aircraft. Normally larger passengers are issued with a safety belt extender but the airbags must be centred over the traveller’s waist to be safe and effective.

However, an AmSafe spokesman said: “The airbag deploys up and away from the seated passenger, providing protection to the head, neck and torso. An extender would reduce the protection."

These restrictions also exclude a parent travelling with an infant on their lap in business class. Other airlines generally encourage larger passengers to travel in business class rather than economy, in order to be more comfortable.