Virgin Atlantic tells female cabin crew they can ditch makeup on flights
Rob Picheta, CNN • Published 4th March 2019
London (CNN) — Female cabin crew on Virgin Atlantic will no longer be required to wear makeup during flights, the airline has said.
The UK-based company called the move a "significant change for the aviation industry."
Under its new styling and grooming guidelines, the airline will also provide women with trousers as part of their standard uniform. Previously, trousers were only provided on request.
"Not only do the new guidelines offer an increased level of comfort, they also provide our team with more choice on how they want to express themselves at work," Mark Anderson, Virgin Atlantic's executive vice president of customer, said in a statement.
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"Our world famous red uniform is something all of us at Virgin Atlantic are incredibly proud of. As an airline, we have always stood out from the crowd and done things differently to the rest of the industry. We want our uniform to truly reflect who we are as individuals while maintaining that famous Virgin Atlantic style," he added.
Anderson said the change came after the company, which flies between Europe and the Americas, listened to feedback from employees.
For many airlines, the clothing and appearance of cabin crews are a key element of their brand identity.
But a promotional calendar by Thai low-cost airline Nok Air prompted a backlash for featuring female flight attendants in swimwear, while Pakistan's national airline caused similar fury by cracking down on "overweight" cabin crew earlier this year.
