Until now, Singapore Airlines has fired female flight attendants immediately as soon as it became known that they were pregnant. The flight attendants were forced to take unpaid leave during pregnancy, and as soon as they brought the child's birth certificate to the management, their labor activity was immediately stopped.
It turned out that the main reason for such decisions by the airline's management was the iconic image of the “Singapore Girl”, which made the airline famous. Created by Singapore Airways in the 1970s, the marketing gimmick still puts young and pretty flight attendants at the center of advertising.
Literally until recently, the carrier insisted that the image of a Singaporean girl is still relevant and continues to distinguish the airline from among competitors.
However, on July 12, the policy of the “Singapore” in relation to female flight attendants has changed: young mothers were allowed to work, and the management even promised to support flight attendants during and after pregnancy.
The airline, however, does not hide: it will still adhere to its incredibly strict standards. Observers fear this could mean penalizing young mothers for being overweight.
Like standard practice on many international airlines, flight attendants will continue to be suspended during pregnancy and Singapore Airlines will not guarantee them any pay. However, they will now be offered temporary ground positions “whenever possible”.
In fact, so far, Singapore Airlines has managed to find a paid ground job for every flight attendant who has become pregnant since July.
Interestingly, in the US, pregnant flight attendants are allowed to continue flying despite the dangers of radiation exposure and increased physical exertion.
Earlier this year, US flight attendants even received the right to express milk on the flights they work on. This happened after a lawsuit filed by a Frontier Airlines flight attendant.