Flight attendants walk more than 15,000 steps/day, stand for 14 hours on the plane

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - Many flight attendants say that wearing high heels while working is not only tiring but can also be unsafe, especially when staff have to board and disembark aircraft via narrow and steep stairs.

The Korean Air Employees Solidarity Union, a branch of the Public Transportation Union in Korea, has launched a campaign called " Sneakers for Flight Attendants." The campaign advocates for improved working conditions for flight attendants by allowing them to wear sneakers instead of dress shoes or high heels.

Flight attendants must follow detailed guidelines on how to dress, wear high heels, style their hair, manicure their nails, and even the color of lipstick they use (Illustrative image: iStock).

The Korean Air Employees Solidarity Union emphasizes that flight attendants must walk more than 15,000 steps a day and stand continuously for more than 14 hours on board. However, the current uniforms and high heels worn by flight attendants are completely unsuitable for these conditions.

Therefore, the union is requesting that businesses increase the number of flight attendants and change the uniforms to be more practical, helping employees work more safely and healthily.

The union emphasized that instead of simply changing the design, more practical criteria should be applied to ensure the comfort and health of flight attendants.

The trend of changing flight attendant uniforms has emerged in many countries around the world . For example, the Ukrainian airline Sky Up has replaced high heels and skirts with sneakers, loose jackets, and long pants. Similarly, Japan Airlines has also eliminated the requirement to wear high heels, allowing for greater flexibility in the workplace for its employees.

Previously, Chinese airline Hunan Airlines gained popularity on social media in the country of over a billion people for announcing the removal of the requirement for female flight attendants to wear high heels.

Some airlines allow female flight attendants to wear flat shoes instead of high heels (Photo: Weibo).

This decision was made to protect the professional image, safety in the passenger cabin, and the health of the staff. It received strong support on social media, attracting 54 million views and encouraging other airlines to follow suit.

Previously, Hunan Airlines required female flight attendants to wear high heels before and after flights, only allowing them to change into flat shoes inside the aircraft for safety reasons. However, now, employees are allowed to wear flat shoes whenever they want.

Medical experts also praised Hunan Airlines' decision. A doctor from Peking University People's Hospital stated that wearing high heels for extended periods can harm the soles of the feet and toes, and increase the risk of injury to the knees, pelvis, and ankles.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/lao-dong-viec-lam/tiep-vien-hang-khong-di-bo-hon-15000-buocngay-dung-14-tieng-tren-may-bay-20250308133914108.htm