November 21, 2008 by PlaneTalking

Airline passengers in Canada who are too fat to fit into a single seat are now entitled to demand another one without paying any extra cash.

The Supreme Court of Canada has made a ruling that entitles obese people to have two seats for the price of a single fare.

The court declined to hear an appeal by Canadian airlines against a decision by the Canadian Transportation Agency to allocate two seats to people who are "functionally disabled by obesity".

In the Philippines last month, a flight attendant lost a 20-year battle against what he said was an unfair sacking by his airline on the grounds he was too fat to fly.

Armanda Yrasuegi was dismissed by Philippine Airlines (PAL) after failing to lose weight in 1989.

The country's Supreme Court said that his refusal to shed some of his 16st weight from his 5ft 8in frame was due to a lack of willpower rather than an illness.

"Passenger safety goes to the core of the job of a cabin attendant. On board an aircraft, the body weight and size of a cabin attendant are important factors to consider in case of emergency," the ruling said.

"Aircraft have constricted cabin space, narrow aisles and exit doors."

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