The Spanish airline that mandated flight attendants wear heels and cosmetics is being fined by labor regulators, a report reveals.
According to local Spanish agencies, Vueling might be fined $33,000 for requiring female employees to board planes wearing heels between two and three inches in height.
Female flight attendants have reportedly been instructed not to apply artificial-looking or extremely long eyelash extensions, as well as to refrain from wearing any eyeshadow that is not either pale gray or brown.
Female flight attendants are encouraged to use foundation in a shade that complements their complexion and are restricted to using black eyeliner and mascara. Women are permitted to wear lipstick, but only in a subdued hue.
In contrast, males were just asked to look presentable at all times. According to a Spanish report, there are no recommendations for men’s footwear.
As per the article, Catalonia’s Labor Inspection Division agreed with the workers’ union STAVLA that Vueling could take on a less demanding and more balanced corporate image without compromising the basic rights of its employees.
As reported, a Vueling representative has said that the carrier is considering all of its legal options in light of the penalties.
The representative also said that for over a year, Vueling has been focusing on an inclusive brand and has been evaluating its style guide.
According to a report, the punishment is groundbreaking since it targets Spain’s first-ever aesthetic standards for female airline employees.
At foreign enterprises, concerns like cosmetics or heels are often not essential, but an archaic mindset still persists in certain Spanish firms.
Spanish low-cost airline Vueling S.A. is headquartered in Viladecans, close to Greater Barcelona. Its major airports are Paris (Orly), Barcelona (El Prat), and Rome (Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino). In terms of destinations served and fleet size, it is by far Spain’s biggest airline.
International Airlines Group, which owns British Airways and Iberia, has used it as an operational subsidiary since 2013.
