Indonesia’s Citilink cabin crew fly high with hijab uniform

JAKARTA: Women flight attendants on Indonesia’s low-cost Citilink airline have been given the option of wearing uniforms featuring a headscarf design.

“We came up with the idea so that female flight attendants could exercise their religious beliefs,” Ranty Astari Rachman, Citilink’s vice president of corporate social responsibility, told Arab News.

About 185 out of Citilink’s 750 female flight attendants wear headscarves in their daily lives, she said.
The new uniform, which comes in dark green and lime green colors, was designed by an Indonesian designer, Luis Vioni, and features a “Gurdo Aji” — a bird creature from Hindu mythology.

Rachman said the hijab uniform would not compromise flight attendants’ ability to provide safety and service for passengers.

Citilink, a low-cost subsidiary of Indonesia’s flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, includes Aceh — the only province in Indonesia with autonomy to impose shariah law — and Jeddah among its routes.

Rachman said that before the uniform was launched, the airline already had a special head covering for female flight attendants on both routes.

Aceh’s local administration announced in January that Muslim female flight attendants must wear headscarves when they fly in and out of the province, and non-Muslim flight attendants must dress modestly.

Aviation analyst Arista Atmadjati said the new uniform was timely since plenty of female flight attendants wore headscarves in their everyday lives.

“This is a good move to anticipate flying to destinations where Islamic culture is strong and modest attire for flight attendants would be preferred,” he said.