"Men Can Wear 'Skirt Uniforms' If They Want? UK Airline's Bold Policy Sparks Attention"

Virgin Atlantic All Employees Can Choose Their Own Uniform
In June, First Major Airline to Allow Flight Attendants to Display Tattoos

British airline Virgin Atlantic has attracted attention by announcing a policy that allows employees to wear uniforms of their choice regardless of gender. Photo by Virgin Atlantic

[Asia Economy Reporter Bora Lee] The UK’s major airline Virgin Atlantic is drawing attention by allowing employees to wear the uniforms they want regardless of their gender.

On the 28th (local time), according to multiple media outlets including CNN, Virgin Atlantic announced a policy that allows all employees, including pilots and cabin crew, to choose and wear the uniform that "best represents themselves." This means that even male employees can wear skirts if they wish, and female crew members can wear pants.

Previously, Virgin Atlantic required female crew members to wear red uniforms and male crew members to wear burgundy uniforms, designed by famous designer Vivienne Westwood. However, now employees can freely choose between skirts and pants for their uniforms.

Additionally, the company provides badges (insignias) with gender pronouns so that employees can be addressed by their preferred gender. Male employees who wish to wear skirts can also wear a badge with "he." Employees who feel their gender differs from their birth gender can select the gender badge they prefer.

Virgin Atlantic also allows some customers to select their preferred gender code when issuing tickets. Starting in 2011 in Australia, and later in the US, Germany, and other countries, passports with the neutral gender marker ‘X’ have been issued, and passengers holding such passports are eligible.

Yuha Jarbien, Chief Commercial Officer, said, "It is important to embrace employees’ individuality and encourage them to be their true selves at work. We hope our employees can wear the uniforms that suit them best and be addressed by their preferred gender."

Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic has continuously promoted gender-neutral policies through its "Be Yourself" campaign. As part of this, it became the first global major airline to eliminate the makeup requirement for cabin crew.

Also, in June of this year, it attracted attention by becoming the first global major airline to allow crew members to display tattoos openly.