Dmytro Smolyenko/Ukrinform/ Barcroft Media/Getty
- A low-cost Ukrainian airline is no longer requiring its female cabin crew to wear high heels.
- SkyUp Airlines' female staff can now choose to wear sneakers and trousers, The BBC reported.
- The change marks a step away from old traditions that are overly focused on women's appearances.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
A low-cost Ukrainian airline is ditching its old uniform for female flight attendants that requires them to wear high heels and pencil skirts on board.
SkyUp Airlines, one of the youngest budget airlines in Europe, said it is swapping high heels for sneakers and pencil skirts for trousers, The BBC reported.
The uniform shake-up was a long time coming, following complaints from several flight attendants about the uncomfortable uniform in a company survey.
"Twelve hours on your feet, flying to Kyiv to Zanzibar and back. If you wear high heels, you are hardly able to walk afterwards," SkyUp flight attendant Daria Solomennaya told The BBC.
"Many of my colleagues are permanent clients of podologists; their toes and toenails are constantly damaged by high heels," she added.
SkyUp Airlines did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment
Other airlines have already made changes to dress codes that were previously considered standard in the industry. In 2019, Virgin Atlantic announced that women are no longer required to wear makeup while working.
SkyUp's uniform changes also signal a pivot away from some of Ukraine's old traditions, which have typically focused on womens' appearances.
The scrutiny of female flight attendants around the world often makes headlines. In September, a former Emirates flight attendant said she was subjected to random weight checks, as Insider reported.
The woman said a colleague complained that the crew member was "too heavy" and that she was weighed for three years as a result.