Korean Air Considers Allowing Flight Attendants to Wear Sneakers Instead of Heels

Korean Air is considering a dress code change for its cabin crew for the first time in 57 years, discussing the possibility of allowing sneakers during onboard duties. According to the aviation industry, Korean Air is in discussions with labor unions to revise dress regulations, enabling flight attendants to wear sneakers or comfortable, functional footwear. Until now, flight attendants were required to wear shoes with 3-5 cm heels for 57 years. This discussion was initiated by the judgment that accumulated fatigue among crew members could affect their ability to respond to emergencies. The company is considering this decision, factoring in that employee comfort leads to improved in-flight safety and service quality.

Cabin crew members are surveyed to walk over 15,000 steps daily on average while working on their feet for more than 14 hours. Considering this work environment, the intention is to manage fatigue from long working hours and enhance emergency response capabilities.

A trend of allowing flight attendants to wear sneakers is spreading within the domestic and international aviation industries. Jeju Air introduced sneakers as work shoes for its cabin crew in February, and Aero K adopted sneakers as official work shoes from its launch. Eastar Jet exempts the mandatory wearing of heels as long as they are unified in black. Japan Airlines (JAL) allowed sneakers for 14,000 crew members and ground staff last year, and China's Air Travel abolished its high-heel regulations, stating that flat shoes enhance safety.