Ukrainian airline swaps high heels for trainers

Fashion norms up in the air - 25th October 2021

SkyUp, the Ukrainian no-frills airline, has substituted stilettos for sneakers in a brand new dress code for its cabin crew.

In place of the former, more conventional uniform, there is a relaxed alternative in which trousers instead of pencil skirts, together with a baggier jacket, complete the totally new look for female flight attendants.

"Twelve hours on your feet, flying from Kyiv to Zanzibar and back. If you wear high heels, you are hardly able to walk afterwards," lamented flight attendant Daria Solomennaya, aged 27, adding, "that includes four hours of security checks and cleaning."

On analysing data from company surveys, it transpired that SkyUp's female crew members were weary of stiff collars, restrictive skirts and painful footwear and eager for change.

"Many of my colleagues are permanent clients of podiatrists, their toes and toenails are constantly damaged by high heels," Daria revealed.

Other carriers have already ditched aspects of their uniform requirements once deemed standard in the industry: Japan Airlines and Norwegian Air have put an end to mandatory high heels, whilst Virgin Atlantic attendants can go without makeup if they so wish. However, SkyUp has gone one step further in its response to their staff's wishes.

Although the Ukrainian cut-price airline isn't the first to blaze a trail, SkyUp's announcement has come as a massive surprise, since Ukraine has generally been considered rather sexist.

Indeed, SkyUp's rivals are not following suit in shaking up their uniform policies and Ukraine International Airlines, one of the largest carriers in terms of market share, won't be modelling themselves on SkyUp's image. Instead, UIA, which has been operating for over three decades, resolved to cling onto the status quo, stating, "Our flight attendants have enough time for breaks and their heels aren't that high at all: they're rather token."

The airline maintains that each business should determine its own future though it seems likely that this new fashion for more practical clothing may be about to take off.