JAKARTA: Indonesia's national carrier, Garuda Indonesia, has denied allegations by a South Korean job applicant that male doctors were examining aspiring flight attendants' breasts to detact implants.
The airline's corporate secretary Pujobroto said the routine medical examination, which was part of the recruitment process, did not involve breast examination.
A job applicant for a cabin crew position in South Korea, who requested not to be named, has claimed that dozens of candidates for 18 highly-coveted female flight attendant positions with Garuda were required to strip down to their panties so that a male doctor could check for tattoos and breast implants, English daily The Jakarta Globe reported Thursday.
A Garuda official was qouted by South Korean Yonhap news agency as saying that the breast examination by hand was done since those with implants could have health issues when air pressure dropped during flights.
The official also said that cabin crew were banned from having tattoos, and workers hired overseas, including in Japan and Australia, were subject to similar process.
Pujobroto said physical checks were performed by a trusted team of Garuda doctors from Indonesia and they were assisted by a female Korean staff member during the examination.
He said five out of the 27 Korean applicants failed in the test, but he did not give the reasons for their failure.
News of the breast examination baffled industry peers and angered women rights groups, which called the process intrusive.
"We've never heard of or done such a check-up on flight attendants. I wonder if that means passengers with breast implants should not fly also," a spokesman for Korean Air was qouted as saying
