In the world of aviation, there has long been a fantasy around the female flight attendant: always dressed to impress, hair styled in beautiful chignons, edges laid, and face beat. In other words: snatched. They are the first line of hospitality welcoming passengers onto airplanes, and if the job takes a strain on those who choose to globetrot thousands of feet in the air, appearances keep the ostensibly glamorous profession intact.
According to a recent MIT study, 78 percent of flight attendants today are women. But as diversity and inclusion are fostered across large corporations, airline companies need to follow suit by expanding employment opportunities to more equally represent people of all genders and backgrounds. Cebgo Airlines in the Philippines took a step in that direction in 2019 when it became the first airline to enlist two trans women, Jess Labares and Mikee Vitug, in their flight attendant program.
