Virgin Atlantic's crew, pilots and ground staff can now wear whatever uniform they feel most comfortable in, regardless of the original male or female design of its red skirt suit or burgundy trousers.
The airline has announced a gender identity policy that lets its staff choose which outfits they wear to work no matter their gender, gender identity or gender expression. Virgin said the move was designed to reflect the diversity of the workforce and to reinforce its branding campaign as welcoming and inclusive after recent moves to relax rules on visible tattoos.
The airline will use optional pronoun badges for crew and passengers, which can be requested at check-in to make sure people use their preferred pronouns. Its ticketing systems will allow people with their passports to use gender neutral markers in the US, India and Pakistan, to travel using those gender codes and the title Mx.
Virgin will start mandatory inclusivity training and initiatives for hotels in destinations such as the Caribbean, where some people have faced more barriers.
Juha Jrvinen, Virgin Atlantic's chief commercial officer, said it was important to allow people to embrace their individuality and be their true selves at work. It is for that reason we want to allow our people to wear the uniform that suits them and how they identify and ensure that their customers are addressed by their preferred pronouns. Virgin brought in Michelle Visage, one of the judges on the hit reality TV show Ru Paul's Drag Race, to promote its policy. Visage said that the initiative was important to her personally, because she said that people feel empowered when they wear what best represents them, and that this gender identity policy allows people to embrace who they are. The airline was one of the first to relax rules on makeup in an industry where crew must follow stringent guidelines on appearance.