In a recent development, SkyUp airline, which is a Ukrainian airline, has decided to replace the old uniform from next month with a very comfortable alternative. The airline has decided to get away with high heels, skirts and tight blouses and has replaced them with trainers, loose orange jackets and trousers. However, for Ukrainians, it is a sign that some of the old traditions are being swept away.

SkyUp surveyed its crews. It turned out that its female employees were fed up with their high heels, tight blouses and pencil skirts. 

Flight attendant Daria Solomennaya was quoted by the BBC as saying, “Many of my colleagues are permanent clients of podologists; their toes and toe-nails are constantly damaged by high heels.”

Talking about wearing high heels, she said, “Twelve hours on your feet, flying from Kyiv to Zanzibar and back. If you wear high heels, you are hardly able to walk afterwards.”

“That includes four hours of security checks and cleaning.”

This is not the first time an airline has taken such a step. Several other airlines have already ditched elements of their dress codes that were previously considered standard in the industry. 

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Virgin Atlantic allowed their flight attendants to give up make-up. Also, Japan Airlines scrapped obligatory high heels. They also gave their employees the option of trousers instead of pencil skirts.

SkyUp head of marketing Marianna Grygorash was quoted by the BBC as saying, “A flight attendant’s work is not that romantic. It’s hard.”

“We realised that our female flight attendants didn’t want to be seen as “sexualised and playful’.”

Gender expert Olena Strelnyk said, “The typical image of a stewardess is probably more sexualised and associated with the femininity than any other.”

This has been the case in Ukraine. However, with time, things seem to be changing.