Virgin Atlantic replace their flying lady emblem with ‘diverse men and women representing modern Britain’ including black and gay characters
- Virgin Atlantic says that it wants to represent ‘modern Britain’ with the change
- The company’s flying lady emblem will be replaced by five new ‘flying icons’
- Among carrier’s five new ‘flying icons’ is a black man and woman and a gay man
- The company is also aiming to have 12 per cent ethnic minority representation
Virgin Atlantic will be replacing its famous flying lady emblem with five new ‘icons’, intended to ‘represent modern Britain’.
The carrier said it is replacing its traditional image with a diverse range of men and women on its new A350-1000 fleet.
Among the ‘flying icons’ will be a black man and woman, as well as a gay man.
A diverse range of men and women will be featured on Virgin Atlantic’s new A350-1000 fleet, in a bid to ‘represent modern Britain’
They will be wearing a red leotard in the new artwork, with the company claiming to be the first airline to have male figureheads on its aircraft.
Virgin Atlantic’s flying lady was based on pin up girls made famous by Alberto Vargas in the 1930s and 1940s.
The company’s announcement comes a month after it stopped telling female cabin crew that they have to wear make-up.
The company’s five new ‘flying icons’ will feature a black man and woman, as well as a gay man
The new icons will replace Virgin Atlantic’s flying lady, which was based on pin up girls made famous by Alberto Vargas in the 1930s and 1940s
This black woman will be one of the new figureheads to adorn Virgin Atlantic aircraft, as part of a pledge to add diversity to the company
Virgin Atlantic’s announcement comes a month after it stopped telling female cabin crew that they have to wear make-up
It has also started providing them with trousers as part of their standard uniform, rather than only if requested.
The carrier has pledged to tackle its gender pay gap and increase diversity and inclusion.
It is aiming to have a 50/50 gender split in leadership roles, as well as 12% black, Asian and minority ethnic group representation across the company, by 2022.
It has previously pledge to tackle the gender pay gap and is aiming to have a 50/50 gender split in leadership roles
The company wants to ‘encourage people from all backgrounds to feel at home flying with us’
Nikki Humphrey, senior vice president of people at Virgin Atlantic, said: ‘The saying goes ”you can’t be what you can’t see” and that has never been truer than the aviation industry’s glamorous image in the past.
‘We have been working for a number of years to tackle our gender pay gap, create an inclusive workplace and increase the diversity of our workforce, through the development of our springboard scheme for women, as well as the launch of engineering apprenticeships.
‘By introducing our new flying icons I hope it encourages people from all backgrounds to feel at home flying with us, but also working with us.’