Cathay Pacific Ends Skirts-Only Rule for Female Flight Attendants

Female Cathay Pacific flight attendants no longer have to don skirts for duty... starting three years from now.

The airline's flight attendants association first challenged the airline's 70-year-old regulation in 2014, complaining that the required skirts were too revealing when lifting passengers' luggage into overhead bins or when commuting to the airport via public transportation.

"We welcome and appreciate the company's decision on giving us an option in choosing uniforms," the flight attendants' union said in a statement. "It not only provides us one more option, but also provides us with protection."

"Just as we recognize it is important to provide our customers with more choice, the same is also true for our colleagues," said Ms Pauline Mak, Vice Chair of the Hong Kong Dragon Airlines' Flight Attendants Association. Hong Kong Dragon Airlines is the parent brand of Cathay Pacific.

The update will take place during the next uniform refresh, which will not occur until three years from now.

Cathay Pacific is one of the later carriers to adopt a broader uniform policy for its flight attendants. United, American and Delta all allow female flight attendants the option of wearing pants while in uniform.

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On the other end of the spectrum, Vietnam-based budget carrier VietJet sells a controversial calendar of bikini-clad flight attendants every year as part of its marketing strategy.