Chinese carrier to dress its flight attendants as maids and butlers

A Chinese airline has caused a stir with plans to make its flight attendants dress as maids and butlers.

The uniforms were unveiled as part of a series of themed flights by Spring Airlines, The Shanghai Daily reported.

But the attempt to attract passengers appears to have backfired, with the low-cost carrier criticised on social media websites.

Bloggers suggested it should focusing on making sure flights were on time, offering cheaper tickets and improving services, rather than dressing them up in revealing attire.

“The airline should respect their crew members because flight attendants are still quite different from maids and butlers,” wrote one.

Concerns were also raised over the health and safety risks of the risqué uniforms, which include short skirts and high heels.

Others accused the airline of “objectifying flight attendants” with the promotion, to which the airline responded: “Thanks for your feedback! We’ll never objectify any of our staff; in fact this idea came from our international crew of qualified Chinese, Japanese and Thailand cabin staff.”

The low-cost carrier’s picture of the new uniforms, posted on its Facebook page last week, has so far received 543 ‘Likes’ and 81 ‘Shares’.

The airline has looked to its Facebook subscribers for other on-board costume ideas and suggestions so far have ranged from school uniforms to superheroes and villains.

Earlier this year, low-cost Thai airline Nok Air was criticised for publishing a raunchy calendar showing its female cabin crew in hot pants and bikinis, while budget carrier Ryanair has released several charity calendars featuring scantily-clad flight attendants.

Last year, Vietnam’s VietJetAir was fined for allowing bikini-clad beauty pageant contestants to dance on board a plane to celebrate its maiden flight between Ho Chi Minh City and the beach town of Nha Trang.