Crawley, England- Virgin Atlantic has scrapped different uniforms for men and women citing that airline crew can now wear clothing that expresses how they identify or present themselves.
According to the airline’s press release, airline personnel are now free to choose any company-approved uniform, no matter their gender, gender identity or gender expression.
The updated policies also provide an option for both Virgin Atlantic staff and passengers to wear pronoun badges to make sure they are addressed with consideration for their gender identity.
Moreso, the airline’s ticketing systems will allow people with a gender-neutral marker in the passport to use U or X gender codes on their booking, as well as the gender-neutral title Mx. This feature, however, is available only in a handful of countries, including the United States, India and Pakistan.
The airline is also amending its Trans inclusion policies which include time off work for medical treatments related to gender transition, a choice of changing rooms and showers that align with the gender a person identifies as and a personalized transitioning plan.
“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,” said Juha Jarvinen, chief commercial officer at Virgin Atlantic.
However, the move has been met with criticism by some members of the public who consider the decision to be controversial.
The amendment of Virgin Atlantic’s policies comes after major US airlines agreed in July to update their systems by 2024 to enable clients to buy tickets with an X gender marker, which means the passenger considers themselves to be neither male nor female.
