The Russian start-up airline Avianova launched an saucy advertising campaign showing bikini-clad flight attendants washing planes. Secretary of the Flight Attendants Association of Australia Jo-Ann Davidson said raunchy ads are offensive and place cabin crew at risk.
“This type of provocative advertising using cabin crew in this light is not tolerated in Australia and should not be acceptable anywhere else,” Ms Davidson said.
“Such suggestive advertising portraying cabin crew as part of the product they’re selling sends wrong messages and puts cabin crew at risk of sexual harassment and abuse – all for a $10 air fare.
“Cabin crew deserve to work in a safe environment and be treated with respect and dignity.”
Ms Davidson said she is seeking the intervention of the Civil Aviation Section of the International Transport Federation into the matter.
“It’s a sad reflection of the attitude of the airline’s executives – dare I say more than likely middle aged males – towards cabin crew, in particular, female cabin crew by portraying them in such a demeaning, distasteful and irrelevant manner,” she said.
Airlines are increasingly turning to raunchy advertisements in a bid to lure travellers to the skies, but risk offending their passengers in the process.