Airline says hostesses need sick note to ditch heels

A popular airline’s 22-page dress code document – which states heels must be at least 2cm high – has come under fire after it was revealed that female cabin crew are being forced to wear them unless they have a doctor’s note.

Women who work as flight attendants for Norwegian Air are not allowed to wear flat shoes on the plane unless they have a medical letter, it’s been revealed.

However, the low-cost airline, who fly to Europe, USA and Asia, have insisted the rule ensures employees look “smart and consistent”.

Women who have a doctor’s note that allows them to not wear heels still have to face tight restrictions. They must carry the letter with them at all times, and it must be updated every six months.

“The guidelines were drafted with input from our pilot and cabin crew colleagues and have been well received,” a spokesperson for the airline told the Independent.

They also added that the majority of the dress code policy applied to both men and women.

However, politicians in Norway – where the airline was founded in Norway’s capital of Oslo in 1993 – have accused them of being in a “Mad Men universe”.

The comment – made by Ingrid Hodnebo, of Norway’s Socialist Left Party – is a reference to the hit TV series which depicted sexist and patriarchal values at a New York advertising firm in the 1950s.

“The year 1950 rang and it wants its rulebook back,” said Anette Trettebergstuen, who represents women in Norway’s Labour Party.

It comes not long after Virgin Atlantic ditched its mandatory makeup rule for female cabin crew.

Emirates’ female flight attendants have to wear a particular shade of red lipstick, while British Airways asks women employees to put on a minimum of lipstick and blusher.

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