Virgin Atlantic is allowing male cabin crew and pilots to wear skirts and high heels and female counterparts to wear trousers, so staff can “express their true identity” at work.
Male flight attendants will be able to wear Virgin’s famous figure-hugging red skirt and heels, while women can opt for a suit with a grey waistcoat, red tie and black shoes.
The Sir Richard Branson-owned airline is dropping rules that require its employees to wear “gendered uniform options” in a UK-first for the aviation industry.
And the changes will not be limited to Virgin Atlantic staff. In a signal that the days of passengers being referred to as “Mr” and “Mrs” are coming to an end on flights, the carrier has changed its ticketing system to allow gender neutral markers.
Staff and passengers will also now have the option of wearing gender pronoun badges, and the airline’s booking system has been updated so passengers can select for themselves a gender-neutral title. All staff will now undergo mandatory inclusion training, too.
Juha Jarvinen, Virgin Atlantic’s commercial chief said the airline wanted staff “to embrace their individuality and be their true selves at work”.
He added: “At Virgin Atlantic, we believe that everyone can take on the world, no matter who they are.
“We want to allow our people to wear the uniform that best suits them and how they identify and ensure our customers are addressed by their preferred pronouns.”
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