The Qantas Group will embrace a more gender-inclusive approach to its crew uniform and grooming guidelines that includes allowing males to grow their hair long and wear makeup and for females to ditch heels for flats.
The new guidelines will allow Qantas and Jetstar staff to choose whether to wear makeup, swap heels for flats and have long hair – styled in a ponytail or bun.
Cornrows are an acceptable hairstyle for all staff bar flight crew for safety reasons, however, tattoos must still be concealed.
Uniform capsule wardrobes, stating the pieces worn together, along with new style and grooming guidelines, replace previous ‘male’ and ‘female’ designated categories.
Restrictions about diamond earrings (allowed) and watch sizes and shapes have also been scrapped, while stockings are still worn with dresses and skirts.
Qantas said it has overhauled its guidelines to better reflect modern expectations and to make uniforms more comfortable for staff from “diverse cultural backgrounds”.
“Fashions change and so have our style guidelines over the years,” the airline said in a statement. “Our uniform standards have always been reflective of the times.”
The announcement comes after pressure from labour unions, which have urged the Qantas Group to scrap the rules around makeup and uniforms.
Virgin Australia will also review its uniform guidelines with the Aussie airlines following British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Air New Zealand in the relaxation of rules around grooming and adoption of inclusive uniforms.
