Trolley dolly folly
Many airlines shamelessly exploit female sexuality
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20161219083825im_/http://cdn.static-economist.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/blogs-teaser/20161217_BLP519.jpg)
EVERY December, more than 1,000 female high school students, some as young as 15, take part in a “bikini competition” held in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao. The event, hosted by Oriental Beauty, a modelling agency, provides a platform for aspiring flight attendants to show off their bikini bodies to eager recruiters from the Chinese airline industry. Those deemed the most attractive are invited to join a fast-track flight attendant trainee scheme, which can open the door to a dream job at one of China’s big airlines.
Many Chinese and other Asian airlines shamelessly exploit female sexuality.