Ukrainian airline swaps high heels for trainers

Airline goes for more relaxed look - 25th October 2021

Ukrainian budget airline SkyUp has swapped high heels for trainers in a new uniform policy.

One of the biggest budget airlines in Ukraine, SkyUp Airlines has replaced its old uniform with a far more comfortable alternative. As well as the change in footwear, flight attendants are now permitted to wear trousers instead of pencil skirts.

“Twelve hours on your feet, flying from Kyiv to Zanzibar and back. If you wear high heels, you are hardly able to walk afterwards,” stated flight attendant Daria Solomennaya, 27. “That includes four hours of security checks and cleaning.”

When SkyUp surveyed its crews, it turned out that its female employees were sick of their high heels, tight-fitting blouses and restrictive skirts.

“Many of my colleagues are permanent clients of podiatrists, their toes and toenails are constantly damaged by high heels.” Daria complains.

The airline isn't the first in Europe to do so, but for Ukraine, which has been widely viewed as rather conservative, it's a sign that some of the old traditions are being swept away.

Several other airlines have already got rid of elements of their dress codes that were previously considered standard: Japan Airlines scrapped compulsory high heels, giving their employees the option of trousers instead of skirts, and Norwegian Air now allows flat shoes. Virgin Atlantic permits their flight attendants to give up makeup.

Ukraine’s low-cost flyer has gone even further: high heels, skirts and tight blouses have been replaced by trainers, loose jackets and trousers.

However, that does not mean SkyUp's Ukrainian competitors are necessarily about to modernise their own uniform policies. Ukraine International Airlines has a big share of the market, and after 30 years of flying it sees no reason to change.

"Our flight attendants have enough time for breaks and their heels aren't that high at all," claims the airline. UIA is determined to stick to traditions in the airline industry and believes each company should decide its own future.