Former flight attendant reveals dark secret behind the job that can see them 'grounded'

Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.

A flight attendant has spoken about the 'immense pressure' airlines put on her over one particular policy.

Speaking to Vice for a video series, one anonymous ex-cabin crew member who has worked for both budget and premium airlines in Asia went deep on the dark realities of company expectations.

It was so bad that after six years in the industry she was diagnosed with depression, adding 'there's a lot of suicide in the industry'.

She said: "If you start young and you're bing paid thousands to travel to all these exotic places, it can be something you look forward to.

"But at the end of the day the pay isn't worth all the struggles I've had to endure."

The flight attendant contextualised her insight by mentioning how airlines are 'always hiring their cabin crews to be the face of the airline itself'.

"They have a specific look, you have to look slender, slim," added the whistleblower.

Such is the level of consistency they want from employees, these airlines issue the same-sized uniforms every other year.

"You are expected to always be able to fit into that uniform," she explained.

"We have a grooming manager - you are supposed to go to the grooming manager in your uniform and they will pick and poke your entire appearance.

"So if you gain weight or you have any skin issues, you can get grounded from flying because you're not performing to the standards."

Unfortunately for this particular woman, she suffered 'terrible skin issues' after just six months of being with the company, so she was blocked from working in the skies.

"I was grounded for a month [and] sent to see a dermatologist with the instruction that I have to make sure that my skin clears up before I'm cleared to fly again."

According to the flight attendant, the 'intense pressure of trying to confirm to the beauty standards of these airlines' is so bad that many turn to plastic surgery.

She says she personally knows a flight attendant who passed away on the operation table during liposuction, while she claims others turn to heroin to keep their weight low.

People were shocked by the revelations, with one writing: "That brought me to tears. This world is so sick. I pray you find some healing."

Another said: "This should be a wakeup call to all airline companies. A job should be something you are passionate about and not a prison."

Meanwhile, one Instagram user said they don't care what flight crews look like, as 'they are not models'.

"Ummm who cares what flight crew look like... I'd rather the flight crew be the most intelligent and well trained as possible. Their jobs are to help keep us alive in an emergency," concurred somebody else.

In similar news, the president of Emirates recently told Piers Morgan that his airline does not 'discriminate' when it comes to who it employs, following a myth that suggests Emirates won't take on 'ugly people'.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.