Female BA staff 'furious over cheap uniforms for non-binary crew'

Female BA staff ‘furious over cheap uniforms designed for non-binary crew’

• British Airways unveiled a new uniform earlier this year for first time in 20 years
• But there are claims some female staff say it is an ‘attack on women’  

Female British Airways staff are furious over ‘cheap’ uniforms designed for non-binary crew, it is claimed.

The famous airline last year relaxed the rules around its strict uniform policy and went gender-neutral to allow male pilots to wear make-up and carry handbags.

At the start of this year BA unveiled a new uniform for the first time in two decades designed to ‘take the airline into the next chapter’. 

Although the uniforms were gendered, BA’s policy allows staff who identify as a certain gender to wear that clothing. 

Designed by British fashion designer Ozwald Boateng, the sleek new look included a ‘modern jumpsuit’, skirt and trouser options for women and a tailored three-piece suit for men with regular and slim-fit style trousers. 

British Airways staff show off their new uniforms. The airline has a policy which allows staff who identify as a certain gender to wear that clothing 

The airline announced the launch of the new uniform in a Facebook post earlier this week and heralded it as a ‘new beginning’  

They were tested in secret trials last year and finally launched across its workforce on Monday.   

READ MORE: British Airways unveils brand new uniforms for the first time in nearly 20 years – including an ‘airline first’ jumpsuit for female cabin crew

BA heralded the launch as ‘marking a new era’ for the airline, but it is claimed some of its female staff are furious with some allegedly complaining about the ‘cheap’ look of the uniform.

A source told The Sun ‘the whole thing is a mess’. 

‘This is an attack on women to satisfy BA’s woke credentials when all they needed to do was produce a dedicated uniform for non-binary and gender fluid crew,’ they said. 

The fresh garb was mooted to be rolled-out across its workforce in the spring but the airline officially announced its launch on Monday.

Posting on its Facebook page with promotional photos of staff kitted out in the new threads, BA said: ‘Marking the beginning of a new era, our new uniform has taken flight.’ 

The airline unveiled the new uniform in January and said at the time that Boateng took great care in ‘designing a truly original collection, taking inspiration from the airline, its people of the art of flying’.

Boateng has been developing the collection since 2018 with ‘painstaking care’, the airline reveals. It says that he shadowed a number of airport roles to understand how the uniform needed to perform for each job and ensure a ‘modern British, stylish look’ with high quality, resilient fabrics.

British Airways unveiled a new uniform for the first time in nearly 20 years in January, with the collection of garments set to ‘take the airline into its next chapter‘

Boateng has been developing the collection since 2018. British Airways says that the designer took great care in ‘designing a truly original collection, taking inspiration from the airline, its people of the art of flying’

More than 1,500 crew across the airline took part in 50 workshops to help ensure the garments’ suitability, from design workshops to prototype feedback and garment trials. British Airways says that these workshops have helped to ‘create an iconic collection that will stand the test of time’.

READ MORE: British Airways goes gender-neutral as male pilots and cabin crew told they can wear make-up and carry handbags

In the secret trials, the cabin and flight crew uniforms were put through their paces on cargo flights across Europe while engineers have been secretly wearing the new uniforms while maintaining aircraft out of sight in Manchester and Cotswold Airports.

Many of the outdoor garments were also tested in deluge showers and freezers at minus 18C to ensure they’re water-resistant, durable and fit for extreme weather conditions. 

Last November, bosses reportedly told staff in an internal memo ‘be bold, be proud, be yourself’ as it published refreshed guidance allowing male pilots to wear make-up and carry handbags. 

They said they hoped it would be ’embraced by everyone regardless of gender, gender identity, ethnicity, background, culture, sexual identity, or otherwise’.

Male pilots and cabin crew at BA have been told they can wear a ‘touch of mascara and lip colour’ and false eyelashes, and paint their nails.

MailOnline has contacted BA for comment. 

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