Time to change air hostesses’ old-fashioned image, says Cathay Pacific union, backing end to ‘skirt-only’ rule in Hong Kong
Attendants at city’s biggest airline suggest they could come out in support of staff at sister carrier, decrying ‘very old-style’ image of air hostesses
Female flight attendants at Hong Kong’s biggest airline have backed Cathay Dragon cabin crew in their challenge of the “skirt-only” rule for air hostesses in the city.
The leader of the 7,200-strong union for Cathay Pacific Airways said it was time to do away with the “old-style” image of heavily made-up stewardesses wearing knee-high skirts. And she suggested her union could come out in support of any industrial action to that end.
Why Cathay Dragon flight attendants are right to oppose skirts-only rule
“The stereotype of the flight attendant is very old-style already: looking pretty, full make-up and wearing a skirt. It is a good time to have a revamp of our image,” Vera Wu Yee-mei, chairwoman of the Cathay Pacific Flight Attendants Union, said.
“It excites us, this idea, that we can think about this direction, so maybe we can do some joint action [with Cathay Dragon] and support them to fight for this issue all together.”
All four of Hong Kong’s airlines require female cabin crew to wear skirts.