An American airline company’s 19 requirements for recruiting flight attendants in the 1950s have recently been exposed on social media, with more than half of the conditions related to appearance. It is evident that in the era when civil aviation industry was just taking off, the role of flight attendants was significantly different from today, seemingly facing some gender discrimination.
The 1950s and 60s are often referred to as the golden age of air travel, with many pilots who had participated in World War II transitioning to commercial airline pilots.
Before the 1950s, women dominated the flight attendant industry because airlines could hire them at much lower wages than male flight attendants.
The National Air and Space Museum in the United States stated on its website that gender discrimination restrictions led to a large turnover of women, but the wages they received from airlines could be lower than those of men because men often spent longer hours on the job. Airlines promoted the attractive image of female flight attendants to attract male passengers.
The museum pointed out that at that time, usually only young, attractive, unmarried white women could become flight attendants. However, Ruth Carol Taylor became the first African American flight attendant in 1958, challenging this standard.
The museum mentioned that Boeing Air Transport (predecessor of United Airlines) was the first airline to employ female flight attendants. The company hired the world’s first flight attendant Ellen Church in 1930.
Church was originally a nurse. Her career as a flight attendant with the company lasted only 18 months because she was injured in a car accident and had to give up the job. She later obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and returned to nursing.
Some netizens shared on Reddit this month the 19 conditions set by the Southern Air Lines of Chicago and Southern Air Lines for recruiting flight attendants in 1954, as follows:
(1) Single, not engaged.
(2) Aged between 22 and 28.
(3) Height between 5 feet 2 inches (157.5 cm) and 5 feet 5 inches (165.15 cm).
(4) Weight between 100 pounds (45.4 kg) and 120 pounds (54.4 kg).
(5) Good vision (cannot wear glasses).
(6) Good teeth, even if wearing dental (false) teeth, must not be visible when smiling.
(7) Good figure.
(8) Long legs.
(9) Natural hair color.
(10) Have at least four years of college education or two years of college plus two years of business experience.
(11) Ability to engage in vivid conversation.
(12) Able to lift and handle items.
(13) Even when angry, must not show real anger towards passenger requests.
(14) Willing and eager to please others.
(15) Willing to rotate shifts.
(16) U.S. citizenship.
(17) Good health.
(18) Clean skin.
(19) Beautiful hands.
Compared to these conditions, the requirements for flight attendants today are significantly different. Apart from height restrictions, the appearance conditions have been greatly reduced.
Some netizens commented that we now need flight attendants who can enforce law and maintain flight safety in the air; while others jokingly said that flight attendants today may need the ability to stop passengers from causing trouble on board.