First class D&I | Virgin Atlantic job applications soar after gendered uniforms axed

Virgin Atlantic has seen job applications for crew members rise by 100% after it scrapped its gender-based uniform policy, the firm’s CEO has said.

The airline’s CEO Shai Weiss told The Telegraph: “We saw a 100 per cent uplift in applicants following the campaign, ‘See the world differently’.”

The firm launched its updated gender identity policy in September 2022, giving its crew, pilots and ground team the option to choose which of its iconic uniforms best represents them – no matter their gender, gender identity, or gender expression.

Reflecting the diversity of the workforce, the airline announced it would offer its people a fluid approach to its Vivienne Westwood-designed red and burgundy uniforms, meaning LGBT+ colleagues could choose either the red or the burgundy uniform, depending on which best reflects themselves.