A Moscow court has ruled in favor of a flight attendant who said Russia's flagship Aeroflot airline stopped assigning her to work on international routes because of her weight.
The Moscow city court overturned a ruling by a district court that had rejected Yevgenia Magurina's contention that she was sidelined as part of Aeroflot's drive to make its cabin crews younger and more physically attractive.
Magurina, 42, had submitted pay slips showing that she had stopped receiving bonus pay, which comprised roughly 20 percent of her income, after she asked for a larger-sized uniform.
Magurina had requested 500,000 rubles ($8,700) in damages and for the court to rule that Aeroflot's regulations on clothing sizes are discriminatory. The court upheld Magurina's claim, ordered Aeroflot to pay her the missing bonus pay but awarded her just 5,000 rubles ($87) in damages.
Her attorney welcomed the ruling, calling it "definitely a victory."
"We were not suing for money. We wanted the court to acknowledge that you cannot treat people like that," lawyer Ksenia Michailichenko said.
Aeroflot's press office did not have any immediate comment on the lawsuit.
Aeroflot in court denied the claims of discrimination, arguing that the company had no obligation to pay bonuses.
But the company did acknowledge its preference for slimmer cabin crews, claiming that there were objective reasons for it.
It said overweight attendants could pose a safety risk by blocking emergency exits and required more fuel to transport.
