Many moons ago, when the world seemed less progressive in terms of equal rights for men and women, it was largely considered that flight attendants were in fact stewardesses.
Largely compiled of a female workforce perusing the aisles of planes in what was referred to as the golden age of travel. Then, aviation began to catch up with the modern world and more so than ever, flight attendants are both male and female. Rather than stewardesses and stewards, the correct term would now be cabin crew, or better still, flight attendants.
Qantas employees in period Qantas flight attendant uniforms pose at Qantas’ 90th birthday … [+]
However, there are still a handful of airlines, both very recently and even present, who still sexualize cabin crew, grabbing headlines and attempting to turn heads by what could be termed as outrageous uniforms, that are perhaps better placed at a beach or a nightclub—but not in a workplace with hundreds of eyes on you.
Some of the airlines below have attempted to create some noise around edgy, traditional and even inappropriate uniforms.
Since mass aviation, the perception of the role a flight attendant plays has certainly changed. Uniforms have rightly-so become more appropriate and the role of a flight attendant is now less sexualised than it was perhaps 30 years ago. Old Pam-Am commercials would clearly depict male pilots surrounded by young women, known as stewardesses. Times have changed, and aviation has progressed. There are more female pilots, and more male stewards, which is why the universal term of cabin crew or flight attendants has replaced that of stewards and stewardesses.
I spoke to a member of cabin crew who chose to remain anonymous, and she explained how sexism is still rife in the workplace for aviation employees. She described how hair and lipstick must be presented in a particular way as this is considered normal and important, even in 2019.
There are still some airlines causing controversy with their stereotyping of flight attendants.
Miniskirts on Japan’s Skymark Airlines
This picture taken on March 7, 2014 shows president of Japan’s Skymark Airlines, Shinichi Nishikubo … [+]
A low-cost airline in Japan caused controversy and even outrage amongst the flight attendant community when it rolled out a temporary uniform in 2014 featuring miniskirts. Accusations of sexual harassment and commoditising women were tough to argue with when Skymark’s promotion of domestic routes on their A330 aircraft resulted in the airline rolling out tight-fitting and very short skirts for the female crew.
Japan’s Federation of Cabin Attendants said the uniform was an open invitation to sexual harassment as the uniform barely covered flight attendants, especially when they had to perform inflight duties when could include stretching to open and close overhead bins. The mini-skirts were used for a six-month promotion, but the airline remained firm that the uniforms “did not affect the safety of the airline.”
Skymark did not reply to my request for comment.
Flight Attendants In Bikinis
A promotional image used by VietJet of some flight attendants on a select flights dressed in bikinis
This topic opens up another debate about the appropriateness of dressing flight attendants in bikinis in 2019, however for VietJet, their female CEO believed that having flight attendants perform a Hawaiian dance in bikinis onboard was great PR for the opening of a new domestic route in Vietnam. The airline was subsequently fined as they didn’t have permission from the aviation authority, yet that hasn’t stopped the low-cost airline from replicating the stunt in 2018 with the Vietnamese under-23 football team onboard. Don’t expect to see bikini-clad flight attendants on every VietJet flight, but it’s certainly a stunt the airline has now used multiple times, to much controversy.
Skymark did not reply to my request for comment.
Hooters Girls on Aircraft
MYRTLE BEACH, SC – MARCH 6: “Hooters Girl” Hillary Vinson, front, attends to passengers aboard the … [+]
The thought of going into a Hooters restaurant may be strange enough for some, but interesting, the restaurant chain actually founded an airline in 2003—Waiters wore short shorts and tank tops on flights to 15 destinations in the U.S.
There was actually “only” two “Hooters Girls” on each flight with three additional FAA-certified flight attendants, but the airline didn’t last beyond three years.
Lufthansa Octoberfest Uniforms
23 September 2019, Bavaria, Munich: Oktoberfest 2019, Shortly before the departure of a Lufthansa … [+]
Lufthansa has a tradition of bringing Bavarian culture to select flights each year as Octoberfest rolls around. Certainly less controversial than some of the other uniforms on this list, but no less eye-catching to passengers when they board an aircraft. The sight of your flight attendant in lederhosen may differ from the norm but Lufthansa has regularly stuck by their tradition, even offering kegs of beer onboard the largest Octoberfest party in the sky.
Certainly a much more appropriate angle for PR, a Lufthansa spokesperson said that “our Octoberfest crews, dressed in traditional cloths is one of the fall highlights our customers enjoy on a number of select Intercontinental flights. Feedback is always positive and the crews are great ambassadors for Lufthansa’s Munich hub.”
In summary, as with any job in 2019, there should be equal opportunities for both men and women. To break the stereotype of sexualising any such job role demonstrates the prevention of progressiveness towards equal opportunities. More so than ever, airlines are indeed making progress with this but there is still a long way to go.
