Flight attendant jobs have a history of being empowering to young women; in the 1960s, girls took jobs as an alternative to marriage and got the chance to save money and travel the world. In the last few decades, that trend has faded in the US, and that’s not a bad thing; women now have more opportunities to pursue other jobs, and women who do choose to be flight attendants don’t have to wear sexy little outfits to work.
But this new trend in flight attendant jobs for women is perhaps the most surprising yet, and it will hopefully give women a new foothold in the job market. An airline in China, Spring Air, is now looking to hire married women with kids.
As The Wall Street Journal reports, Asian airlines typically look to hire women based on sex appeal, sometimes hosting beauty contest-esque events to pick out attractive employees. So this call for “Flight Aunties,” as these married women are called, is pretty shocking.
Many Chinese women are thrilled at this opportunity: one woman explains, “It’s great that Spring Air is providing us this chance.” The airline offers women and their families a steady starting paycheck of about $486 US dollars, and many married men are hoping to have the same opportunities in the near future.
It seems the public is embracing this change as well. First-time flyers find it comforting to be accompanied by more mature women, so the future looks bright for “Flight Aunties.” One recruiter named Xiao Fei explains, “We hope to help many mommies realize their flying dream.”
Thanks to The Wall Street Journal
Image via The Wall Street Journal
