Are We in the 1950s? Norwegian Airlines Now Requires a Doctor’s Note For This

Norwegian has recently issued an updated and, it appears, a controversial set of guidelines pertaining to the personal appearance of its cabin crew. The move has garnered criticism of the carrier from within Norway and comes at a time when other operators are rethinking once-rigid rules on appearance.

Low-cost carrier Norwegian has recently issued an updated and, it seems, a controversial set of uniform guidelines, The Independent reports. While other airlines around the world are now scaling back once rigidly enforced rules on make-up, uniform and grooming, the budget operator has been criticized for these newly published rules, which ask staff to adhere to a strict set of regulations regarding their personal appearance.

According to the outlet, high heels are required by staff unless they are in receipt of a doctor’s note that allows them to wear flats. The guidelines apparently also require female crew members to wear full make-up, including foundation and powder. Men, the outlet reports, can only wear make-up in order to hide bruises or skin conditions like acne.

The new guidelines also limit the amount of jewelry worn by staff.

These requirements have come under fire in the airline’s home country of Norway. Speaking on behalf of the nation’s Socialist Left Party, Ingrid Hodnebo, offered her comments to Norwegian outlet VG, saying, “It is almost comical that we face these issues in 2019. While the rest of society has moved on, Norwegian is stuck in the Mad Men universe from the 1950s and ‘60s.”

A spokesperson for the airline told the outlet that, “Like all global airlines, Norwegian has a comprehensive set of uniform guidelines to ensure that our flying crew represents our brand in a smart and consistent manner.”

“The guidelines were drafted with input from our pilot and cabin crew colleagues and have been well received, sharing many gender commonalities in addition to some specific male and female requirements,” they added

Offering an insider perspective, Mateusz Maszczynski of PaddleYourOwnKanoo observed, “What’s interesting here is that Norwegian says the rules were drawn up to avoid offending certain cultures while seeming obliviously unaware that these rules do exactly that. It Virgin Atlantic can drag itself into 2019 then can we not reasonably expect Norwegian to do the same?”.

[Image Source: Shutterstock]