Ukraine’s SkyUp Airlines changes attire of women cabin crew – high heels, pencil skirts no longer in vogue

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<strong>Changing with time in order to make things easier is the hallmark of good management. And demonstrating this is Ukraine’s budget airline SkyUp Airlines. The airways is giving up its old uniform for women employees — high heels and pencil skirts – to switch to a more comfortable alternative.</strong></p>
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Established in 2016, SkyUp Airlines is Ukraine’s youngest low-cost airline which has already achieved the distinction of being the biggest.</p>
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Announcing its new policy, the airline said that crew members will be given the option of wearing sneakers and trousers on board. This offer is being made after due care as following a survey of the staff it was found that the female employees were "fed up" with high heels, pencil skirts and tight blouses.</p>
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Talking to BBC, 27-year-old Daria Solomennaya said: “Twelve hours on your feet, flying from Kyiv to Zanzibar and back. If you wear high heels, you are hardly able to walk afterwards. That includes four hours of security checks and cleaning."</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://www.indianarrative.com/upload/news/SkyUp_New_Uniform1.webp" style="width: 720px; height: 480px;" /></p>
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In fact she made a significant observation regarding the health issue of the women staff. "Many of my colleagues are permanent clients of podologists; their toes and toe-nails are constantly damaged by high heels.”</p>
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The tight skirts too are also impediment she said citing the example of flight attendants having to quickly open the exit door in case the craft makes an emergency landing in water and this may require clambering over the passengers. "Imagine how I could do that in a pencil skirt," remarked Solomennaya.</p>
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All this will now change for good as the airlines’ Press release stated that soon its passengers will be welcomed and served by flight attendants wearing the new SkyUp Champions uniform. Interestingly, this includes the Nike Air Max 720 sneakers that features "incredible cushioning and resilience for maximum comfort all day long."</p>
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Also it said suits and skirts will be replaced with "trouser suits with soft tailoring aesthetics and trench coats." These will be in orange colour.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://www.indianarrative.com/upload/news/SkyUP_New_Uniform2.webp" style="width: 720px; height: 480px;" /></p>
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In order to decide on the new outfit and footwear, the evolution of uniforms of cabin crew since the 1930s was studied.</p>
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Explaining the makeover, Marianna Grigorash, Head of SkyUp Airlines Marketing Department said: "Times have changed, women have changed, so in contrast to the conservative classics, heels, red lipstick and a bun, a new, more modern and comfortable image of a 'champion' has appeared. The study and interviews with flight attendants became the starting point for working on a new image…So we decided to replace the shoes with sneakers."</p>
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She added that the company realised its female staff did not want to be seen as "sexualised and playful".</p>
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<strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/world-news/afghan-woman-gives-birth-to-baby-girl-at-feet-on-evacuation-flight-to-britain-111130.html">Afghan woman gives birth to baby girl at 33,000 feet on evacuation flight to Britain</a></strong></p>