"Too Much Upper Body Exposure" Female College Student Denied Boarding an Airplane... Was It Because of the 'Captain'?

Staff "Skin is too exposed"... Other passengers also surprised

Female college student denied boarding due to her outfit. Photo by Facebook capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] A controversy has arisen in Australia after a woman was denied boarding on a flight due to her attire.

According to the British Daily Mail on the 14th (local time), Catherine Bampton (23), a university student, was waiting for a Virgin Australia flight at Adelaide Airport in southern Australia to go to the Gold Coast the day before.

Catherine was wearing a halter neck top, high-waisted pants, and sneakers.

However, a ground staff member from the airline approached her and said, "You cannot board the plane because of your outfit."

Catherine said, "I was publicly refused boarding because of my clothes in front of other people watching," adding, "I was shocked. It was embarrassing and humiliating."

Believing her outfit was not inappropriate, Catherine asked the staff for an explanation, and the staff replied, "The captain does not like clothing that reveals too much skin," and "Please wear an outer garment if you have one."

A female college student was denied boarding on a plane due to her outfit. Photo by Facebook capture.

Passengers who witnessed the incident were reportedly very surprised.

Virgin staff reportedly felt that wearing a "bikini-style top" was not suitable for travel.

Catherine is currently hoping for an apology from the pilot and that the airline acknowledges the situation.

Virgin Australia stated, "We will proactively investigate what happened. We will remind our staff of our dress code," adding, "Our dress code is similar to those of other airlines."

According to the dress code published on Virgin Australia's website, shoes must be worn, pants should adequately cover the lower body, and a top must be worn; however, there are no clear regulations regarding upper body exposure.