London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 07, 2025

British Airways allows male staff to wear make-up and carry handbags

British Airways allows male staff to wear make-up and carry handbags

British Airways has eased its uniform rules, allowing male pilots and cabin crew to wear make-up and carry handbags

British Airways says all pilots and cabin crew can paint their nails and wear mascara, regardless of gender

British Airways staff were told to “be bold, be proud, be yourself” as the airline overhauled its strict uniform rules to allow male cabin crews and pilots to wear make-up and carry handbags during flights.

In an internal memo released on Wednesday and cited by the media, the company told staff the new guidance would be “embraced by everyone regardless of gender, gender identity, ethnicity, background, culture, sexual identity, or otherwise.”

The airline said it was close to completing a review of its long-standing uniform policies after other airlines such as Virgin Atlantic decided to make their traditional male and female uniforms gender-neutral.

The move comes as airlines such as British Airways have been moving away from traditional divisions by gender and have even dropped “ladies and gentlemen” from its announcements in order to make “all customers feel welcome.”

According to the Daily Mail, British Airways told their male pilots and cabin crew that they can wear “a touch of mascara and lip color” as well as fake eyelashes and paint their nails. All staff will now also have more options when it comes to hairstyles, meaning male employees will be allowed to wear “man buns,” and everyone will now be allowed to carry handbags, regardless of gender identity or sex.

The company decided to stick with its traditional male and female uniforms, as well as keeping its ban on visible tattoos.

A British Airways spokesperson told the outlet that the company is “committed to an inclusive working environment,” and that the updated guidelines for grooming, beauty, and accessories will allow employees to “bring the best, most authentic version of themselves to work every day.”

In September, Virgin Atlantic updated its uniform policy, but went a step further than BA, completely removing gendered clothing requirements, allowing male workers to wear skirts and make-up, and introducing pronoun badges for staff to be able to “wear uniforms that express their true identity.”

The move towards allowing male flight attendants to wear dresses and make-up has been met with criticism from customers. Some say that airlines making these “inclusivity” updates should instead focus on improving the experience for travelers, while others have called it “woke madness.”

Other airlines around the world have also updated their guidelines. Russia’s S7, Latvia’s AirBaltic, and Air New Zealand have recently allowed staff to have visible tattoos, piercings, bright-colored hair, as well as beards for male employees.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
×