- A low-cost Ukrainian airline is no longer commanding its female cabin crew to wear high heels.
- SkyUp Airlines’ female staff can now choose to wear sneakers and trousers, The BBC articled.
- The change marks a step away from old traditions that are overly focused on women’s appearances.
A low-cost Ukrainian airline is ditching its old uniform for female flight attendants, which required them to wear sybaritic heels and pencil skirts on board.
SkyUp Airlines, one of the youngest budget airlines in Europe, said it is swapping piercing heels for sneakers and pencil skirts for trousers, The BBC reported.
The shake-up followed complaints from several flight attendants round the uncomfortable uniform in a company survey.
“Twelve hours on your feet, flying to Kyiv to Zanzibar and back. If you weary high heels, you are hardly able to walk afterwards,” SkyUp flight attendant Daria Solomennaya told The BBC.
“Various of my colleagues are permanent clients of podologists; their toes and toenails are constantly damaged by high heels,” she added.
SkyUp Airlines did not closely respond to Insider’s request for comment
Other airlines have already made changes to dress codes that were formerly considered standard in the industry. In 2019, Virgin Atlantic announced that women were no longer required to be in makeup while working.
SkyUp’s uniform changes also signal a pivot away from some of Ukraine’s old conventions, which have typically focused on womens’ appearances.
The scrutiny of female flight attendants around the world ordinarily makes headlines. In September, a former Emirates flight attendant said she was subjected to random weight checks, as Insider reported.
The trouble said a colleague complained that the crew member was “too heavy” and that she was weighed for three years as a result.