Virgin Atlantic scraps gendered uniforms as part of inclusivity drive

28 September 2022, 10:40 | Updated: 28 September 2022, 10:56

Virgin Atlantic has updated its gender identity policy, giving crews the choice of what uniform to wear.

The British carrier announced that its pilots, cabin crew, as well as ground staff now have the option of wearing its burgundy or red uniform.

The airline said it wants to “champion the individuality” of its employees by enabling them to wear clothing that “expresses how they identify or present themselves”.

Previously, female Virgin Atlantic workers were required to wear a red uniform, while their male counterparts wore burgundy.

The company, launched by billionaire Richard Branson in 1984, said the change makes it “the most inclusive airline in the skies”.

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Jaime Forsstroem, a cabin crew member at the company said: “The updated gender identity policy is so important to me.

"As a non-binary person, it allows me to be myself at work and have the choice in what uniform I wear.”

The firm said its current “trans inclusion policies” include allowing time off work for medical treatments related to gender transition, a choice of changing and shower facilities that “align with the gender a person identifies as”, and co-creation of a “personalised transitioning plan”.

Virgin Atlantic is also introducing the option of including pronouns on name badges, and has added updates to its ticketing system so passport holders with gender neutral markers can choose the title Mx and select gender codes U or X on their booking.

Passengers from a small number of countries including the The British carrier announced that its pilots, cabin crew, as well as ground staff now have the option of wearing its burgundy or red uniform.

The airline said it wants to “champion the individuality” of its employees by enabling them to wear clothing that “expresses how they identify or present themselves”

Previously, female Virgin Atlantic workers were required to wear a red uniform, while their male counterparts wore burgundy.

The company, launched by billionaire Richard Branson in 1984, said the change makes it “the most inclusive airline in the skies”.

Jaime Forsstroem, a cabin crew member at the company said: “The updated gender identity policy is so important to me.

"As a non-binary person, it allows me to be myself at work and have the choice in what uniform I wear.”

The firm said its current “trans inclusion policies” include allowing time off work for medical treatments related to gender transition, a choice of changing and shower facilities that “align with the gender a person identifies as”, and co-creation of a “personalised transitioning plan”.

Virgin Atlantic is also introducing the option of including pronouns on workers’ name badges, and has updated its ticketing system to allow passport holders with gender neutral markers to use the title Mx and select gender codes U or X on their booking.

Travellers from a small number of countries including India, Pakistan and the US, – though not the UK – can hold these passports.

The workforce at the airline and Virgin Atlantic Holidays will receive mandatory inclusivity training, and there will also be “inclusivity learning initiatives” for tourism partners and hotels in destinations such as the Caribbean.

This is to ensure “all our customers feel welcomes despite barriers to LGBTQ+ equality”, Virgin Atlantic said.

The changes are part of the airline’s Be Yourself agenda.

Virgin Atlantic previously lifted a ban on visible tattoos for all cabin crew and a requirement for female cabin crew to wear make-up.

The airline’s chief commercial officer Juha Jarvinen said: “At Virgin Atlantic, we believe that everyone can take on the world, no matter who they are.

“That’s why it’s so important that we enable our people to embrace their individuality and be their true selves at work.

“It is for that reason that we want to allow our people to wear the uniform that best suits them and how they identify and ensure our customers are addressed by their preferred pronouns.”