Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines has finally rolled out its new cabin crew uniform almost a year after it first unveiled the designs at the 2017 Lawrence Xu Haute Couture Show in Paris.
The change marks the fifth generation of uniforms for the airline. Designer Lawrence Xu was behind the new attire, which combines traditional Chinese elements, such as cheongsam dresses for women and jackets with Mandarin collars for men, along with more Western touches such as double-breasted coats.
Official ceremonies took place yesterday in Beijing and Haikou, two of the airline’s major hubs, with representatives from the airline’s cabin crew returning silk scarves representing their previous uniforms before being presented with the new attire by the company’s leadership. The airline’s previous uniforms have been in place since 2010.
Hainan Airlines CEO Sun Jianfeng said that the uniforms “will herald a new beginning”, forming part of a comprehensive upgrade of the carrier’s product and services.
This has included rolling out new Space One noise-cancelling headphones on its domestic services, developed by UK-based hi-fi brand KEF and Porsche Design.
Hainan Airlines is not the only airline rolling out new staff uniforms. Last month, Delta finally rolled out its new uniforms designed by New York-based designer Zac Posen, some three years after they were originally announced.
Meanwhile last year, Taiwanese carrier Eva Air unveiled its first uniform change in 14 years. The new attire has been created by Taiwanese fashion house Shiatzy Chen, and its unveiling coincided with the airline’s retirement of its Boeing 747 aircraft.