SkyUp Airlines, which is a budget airline in Ukraine, updated its old uniform. SkyUp Airlines’ female employees will no longer have to wear uncomfortable high heels and pencil skirts. Instead, the Ukrainian budget airline will now give crew members the option to wear sneakers and trousers.
SkyUp Flight Attendants Now Allowed to Wear Sneakers
SkyUp interviewed their flight attendants. From here, the airline discovered that female employees are “fed up” wearing tight blouses, high heels, and pencil skirts. That’s when SkyUp decided to replace the high heel shoes with sneakers.
Flight attendant Daria Solomennaya said that “Twelve hours on your feet, flying from Kyiv to Zanzibar and back. If you wear high heels, you are hardly able to walk afterwards”. She added, “That includes four hours of security checks and cleaning”. The flight attendant also said that it’s common for them to see podologists since their toes and nails get damaged.
Aside from being uncomfortable, wearing pencil skirts and high heels is not practical in an emergency scenario. In an event of an emergency, flight attendants will have to rush to the exit door. And to do so, there is a chance that a flight attendant will need to climb over people.
Airlines Embracing Change in Uniforms
In the Ukrainian budget airline’s press release: “In autumn 2021, SkyUp passengers will be greeted by flight attendants wearing new SkyUp Champions uniform”. According to the press release, the idea of the new uniform is movement. The new uniform will include Nike Air Max 720 sneakers that will replace the uncomfortable high heels. The shoes feature “incredible cushioning and resilience for maximum comfort all day long”.
Marianna Grigorash, Head of SkyUp Airlines Marketing Department, said that “Times have changed, women have changed”. She added that “a new, more modern and comfortable image of a ‘champion’ has appeared”.
United Airlines also did something similar. United changed its rules regarding their flight attendants’ appearance. Since September 15, United’s customer-facing employees can wear makeup, nail polish, and have tattoos regardless of their gender.
