Virgin Atlantic drops mandatory makeup for female cabin crew

Virgin Atlantic has told female cabin crew they will no longer have to wear makeup in the air. The airline will also provide female crew with trousers as part of their standard uniform, rather than only providing them on request. Virgin said it was a “significant change” in an industry where female crew are often expected to spend considerable effort on their appearance, adding to the costs and unpaid labour for low-paid employees. Although low-cost carriers, such as easyJet and Ryanair, have relatively relaxed rules on crew presentation, most full-service international airlines prescribe what makeup must be bought and worn. Virgin said cabin crew could now work without makeup, but were welcome to follow the palette of lipstick and foundation set out in its guidelines. Mark Anderson, the airline’s executive vice-president of customer, said it had been “listening to the views of our people” and the new guidelines would “provide our team with more choice on how they want to express themselves at work”.<br/>