Would she get more tattoos given the restrictions from her airline? “I love tattoos and I would like to have a few more soon,” she says. “Obviously for now only on parts of my body that will be covered by my uniform. Later on, I'm planning to have a few more tattoos that are more visible - they complete who I am.”
Read more about Virgin Atlantic’s decision in detail here.
This UK airline is the first to let staff show their tattoos onboard.
Are tattoos still taboo in the workplace in 2022? Well for some brands, they can be deal breakers to landing the job, which is often the case when it comes to flight staff. Many airline brands have a ban against visible tattoos amongst their policies. Virgin Atlantic made history on International Flight Attendant’s Day with the announcement that its staff could proudly display their body art during working hours.
According to The Guardian, the airline said that “the crew who would benefit included those with full-arm tattoos who previously had to wear long-sleeved shirts instead of the standard short-sleeved version while on duty.” But it’s not without a few stipulations. At the moment, “facial and neck tattoos will remain banned for flight attendants - for now, although the airline is considering relaxing the rules at a later date.” This also includes profanity, hate or violence-related tattoos.
The decision for Virgin Atlantic is a step in the right direction—with more to consider going forward—and one perhaps more airlines and workplaces will be inclined to follow. Most importantly, it gives the choice back to the person. After all, tattoos don’t limit a person’s abilities to perform their role. Most of the time, they’re a form of self-expression as much as changing one’s hair colour, appearance or clothing. At NAAMA, we believe the freedom to choose whether to have tattoos, cover them up or clear them is entirely up to the individual.
Ultimately, having the choice is most important—and that definitely rings true for Milica, a client at NAAMA. “I got my dream job as a flight attendant and one of the conditions of employment was to have no visible tattoos,” she said. Going for her dream job was more important to her than a tattoo she got a few years ago while studying in Sardinia, and so she decided to remove it with NAAMA. “I’m very happy with the results so far and also very thankful for NAAMA. I don't think it would be that easy and fast to remove it without the help of your studio.”
