Ditch the high heels, wear flats: China airline crew rule change prompts calls for more airlines to adopt similar measures

The report, published on the microblog of Hangzhou news website Metropolis Express, has received more than 57,000 likes, with many comments praising the change to a unified policy for air travel.

“(I) support flight attendants to stop wearing high heels. High heels are shackles for feet!” One comment received 11,000 likes.

Another comment, which received more than 9,100 likes, said: “Actually, flight attendants should wear flat shoes and pants which is the best for their job.”

While praising the move, many users agreed that more Chinese airlines should completely scrap the requirement for female cabin crew to wear high heels.

“Hunan Airlines has done it, hope it can be promoted more widely!” said a Weibo post that received more than 13,000 likes.

In addition to footwear, some Weibo users also suggested adjustments to the uniforms of female flight attendants, such as replacing skirts with long pants to facilitate movement while working.

While American Airlines is reportedly the first domestic airline to completely eliminate its high-heel policy, it is not the only domestic airline to relax its uniform policy.

Last year, Shanghai Juneyao Airlines required female flight attendants to wear flat shoes when boarding and in the cabin to maintain consistency, The Paper reported. They can choose to wear flat shoes or high heels before boarding. The report did not specify when the rule will take effect in 2023.

According to The Paper, budget airline Spring Airlines also provides black flat shoes for flight attendants to change into after boarding. Spring Airlines did not disclose the specific implementation time of this measure, only saying that the move is aimed at reducing the risk of injury during turbulence.

Just as Chinese airlines took this step, several airlines around the world have abolished the regulations on female flight attendants wearing high heels.

Australian airline Qantas replaced high heels with flats in 2023, while Ukrainian budget airline SkyUp Airlines replaced high heels and pencil skirts with white Nike sneakers and suits in 2021.

In 2020, Japan Airlines announced that its female cabin crew would no longer be required to wear high heels or skirts, The Guardian reported.

The airline said at the time that passengers could choose the shoes that “best suit their needs” and swap skirts for trousers, a move aimed at creating a “diverse work environment”.