New Delhi: Underclothes worn by cabin crew of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) are a topic of intense debate. Personnel with Pakistan’s national carrier were left bemused after they received a memo instructing them to wear “proper undergarments” and dress with decorum. PIA issued a clarification Friday in the wake of intense backlash.
In its first internal memo to personnel, the Airlines said that the lack of better attire by the crew was leaving a “poor impression” and portraying a negative image. They have to keep these rules in mind even when they are off duty to help maintain the image of the flight carrier, according to reports in the Pakistani media.
“Cabin crew tends to dress casually while travelling intercity, staying in hotels and visiting offices,” stated the memo, which was sent by Amir Bashir, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight services general manager, on 26 September.
“Henceforth, Cabin Crew must be properly dressed up in plain clothes which are formal and are worn over proper garments.”
Crew, both male and female, are expected to adhere to the ‘dress code’ in keeping with Pakistan’s “national and cultural morals.”
The memo warned that flight attendants who violated the guidelines would face severe consequences.
Additionally, grooming officers and senior shift supervisors are required to monitor personnel’s attire at all times, and report violations.
The internal memo, when made public elicited a flurry of responses from people in Pakistan and other countries. Pakistani actor and producer Adnan Siddiqui suggested that PIA stop moral policing and instead focus on improving infrastructure, safety and service standards.
Instead of moral
policing the cabin crew, the PIA should rather invest its energy in improving the infrastructure, safety and service standards. #cleanyourbackyardfirst
— Adnan Siddiqui (@adnanactor) September 29, 2022
One person questioned how the management was aware of whether the PIA staff were wearing undergarments or not. Many others said PIA had more urgent issues to address. Some also questioned the timing of the memo, given that Pakistan is still reeling under the stress of unprecedented floods.
Within 24 hours of issuing the memo, PIA issued a written clarification, said a report by Geo TV. “Despite the fact that the spirit behind the advisory was to ensure proper dress code, however, the standard bulletin, inadvertently, came out with an inappropriate selection of words,” the chief human resource officer in the clarification.
However, this is not the first time PIA has objected to their crew’s appearance. In a 2019 memo, the carrier asked select cabin crew members to lose weight within six months or face being grounded as a consequence.
The same year, crew members were also banned from posting photos of aircraft on social media platforms as broken seats and damaged interiors can risk the airline’s reputation globally.
According to Daily Times, on one occasion, PIA had even considered hiring makeup artists to help groom the cabin crew.