Budget Ukrainian airline swaps high heels for trainers

"Twelve hours on your feet, flying from Kyiv to Zanzibar and back. If you wear high heels, you are hardly able to walk afterwards," says flight attendant Daria Solomennaya, 27. "That includes four hours of security checks and cleaning." She works for SkyUp Airlines, one of the youngest low-cost airlines in Europe, but one of the biggest in Ukraine. It has now decided to replace the old uniform from next month with a far more comfortable alternative. It isn't the first in Europe to do so, but for Ukrainians it is a sign that some of the old traditions are being swept away. When SkyUp surveyed its crews, it turned out that its female employees were fed up with their high heels, tight blouses and pencil skirts. "Many of my colleagues are permanent clients of podologists; their toes and toe-nails are constantly damaged by high heels," she complains. Varicose and spider veins are other frequent ailments. Several other airlines have already ditched elements of their dress codes that were previously considered standard in the industry. Ukraine's low-cost flier has gone further: out go the high heels, skirts and tight blouses, in come trainers, loose orange jackets and trousers.<br/>