Today is International Women’s Day and two major airlines are celebrating it in exceptional ways. Air France organized its biggest ever all-female crew, while Cathay Pacific goes the gift and airfare discount route.
22 female flight attendants and two female pilots are aboard France’s flag carrier, flying today from Paris to Washington on the Airbus 380, the world’s largest commercial plane. Tomorrow, March 9, an all-female crew will fly to Madagascar to arrange for children’s educational materials through the Air France Foundation.
Hong Kong’s flag carrier, Cathay Pacific, is presenting female passengers with an International Women’s Day greeting card and rose at select departing cities. Until March 14, women who book Cathay Pacific airfares online will receive a $20 gift voucher for on board shopping.
The fact that these airlines are observing International Women’s Day is significant; even into the 1980s many major carriers forbade their air hostesses to marry, and hiring practices were traditionally based on appearance, to name a couple of the industry’s gender-based discriminations. The first female pilot of a commercial carrier was in 1973; today there is still a small number of women captains compared to their male counterparts. The pilot and flight attendant dichotomy remains polarized based on sex, but the good news is that each year the number of women flying airplanes (and men working as flight attendants) grows.
Happy International Women’s Day! Celebrate by treating yourself (or the lady you love) with a vacation! Book online or call us at 1 877 967 5302, and get the best prices, backed by Flight Centre’s Lowest Airfare Guarantee.