British Airways has begun the roll out of new uniforms which will eventually be worn by around 30,000 employees worldwide.
The carrier unveiled the new range of Ozwald Boateng-designed uniforms in January following four years of development, and from this week the airline’s 5,000-strong engineering, maintenance and airport operations teams are now sporting their new garments.
More than 128,000 items have been ordered by BA’s operational ground colleagues, with options including a new quilted jacket featuring a bespoke airwave print.
The carrier said that garments had been designed “with practicality in mind, including additional pockets for tools, detachable tool belts and gloves with touch screen technology”.
Trials including putting garments through deluge showers and -18 degree temperatures were conducted during the development stage “to ensure water resistance and durability of the garments”.
The next stage of the uniform rollout will see BA cabin crew, pilots and customer facing colleagues kitted out from September.
The carrier said that it was exploring options for recycling returned current uniforms, including creating a sustainable range of merchandise, and gifting certain items to the British Airways Heritage Centre.
Commenting on the news René de Groot, British Airways’ chief operating officer, said:
“This uniform has been multiple years in the making, and colleagues are genuinely excited to wear the collection, which they’re calling a step change from the previous garments, offering much more practicality.
“I’m delighted that airport operations, cargo, engineering and maintenance colleagues across our airports and bases worldwide will be the first to transition into the new designs.”
