Ukrainian airline swaps high heels for trainers

Airline goes for more relaxed look - 25th October 2021

Ukrainian airline SkyUp has introduced a new uniform for its women cabin crew. It is now acceptable to wear trainers instead of high heels. They can also wear trousers in place of close-fitting skirts.

Cabin crew member Daria Solomennaya, 27, told us “Twelve hours on your feet, flying from Kyiv to Zanzibar and back. If you wear high heels, you are hardly able to walk afterwards”.

Many of them have to visit foot specialists to deal with toe and toenail problems.

After the flight crew completed a company survey, SkyUp management found out that their female employees were fed up with their tight uniforms.

The airline isn't the first one to change its clothing policy. However, it's surprising that this has happened in Ukraine because it's generally quite traditional there. Their older and bigger competitor, Ukraine International Airlines, refuses to break their tradition. After 30 years in the business, it's still not making any uniform changes.

In contrast, SkyUp's women cabin crew are now free to wear trainers, loose jackets and trousers for work. Japan Airlines and Norwegian Air also allow flat shoes to be worn. And Virgin Atlantic lets their staff attend to passengers without makeup.

It seems that many airlines in the industry are starting to take a more relaxed approach to women staff uniforms.