VirginAtlantic
First major airline allows cabin crew to show tattoos – but there are exceptions
At Virgin Atlantic, tattooed flight attendants are now allowed to wear short sleeves
© Virgin Atlantic / Twitter
Virgin Atlantic flight attendants will be allowed to openly show their tattoos to passengers in the future. However, this does not mean that all types of tattoos are allowed for cabin crew.
Tattoos are still a sensitive topic in professional fields with customer contact. Often they have to be covered up or people with tattoos are not hired at all. Companies fear that a dubious impression could arise. But that is changing step by step – now also above the clouds.
Even flight attendants are usually required to have a classic, elegant appearance. The airline Virgin Atlantic is now breaking with it. She allows her flight attendants to openly show their tattoos to passengers. This makes Virgin Atlantic the first major airline to take this step, reports the British daily The Guardian. Virgin Atlantic itself confirmed the scheme on the official Twitter account.
Virgin Atlantic flight attendants can ‘proudly show off their tattoos’
The occasion was International Flight Attendant Day on May 31st. “Today we stand up for our wonderful cabin crew, a colorful group of people,” the tweet said. “We’ve always encouraged our employees to be themselves, so starting today, they can proudly show off their tattoos.”
Previously, at billionaire Richard Branson’s airline, it was a hiring requirement that members of the cabin crew had to be willing to cover their tattoos. Similar regulations apply to the vast majority of airlines, reports the “Guardian”. The switch at Virgin Atlantic could also be an effect of the pandemic: the airlines are desperately looking for new staff.
Some tattoos remain banned
Estelle Hollingsworth, Virgin Atlantic’s chief human resources officer, said the airline wants to promote inclusion and individuality. “We want everyone to be able to be themselves and know they belong,” said Hollingsworth. “Many people show their unique identity with tattoos. Our customer-facing colleagues who are in uniform should not be excluded if they want to do that.”
However, there are also exceptions. Tattoos on the face and neck remain prohibited. The airline is considering introducing weakened regulations at a later date. Tattoos related to nudity, violence, alcohol or drugs, or those deemed “culturally inappropriate” will not be accepted.
Sources: Virgin Atlantic on Twitter / “Guardians”