Virgin Atlantic unveils new aircraft livery

·Virgin Atlantic’s iconic “Flying Lady” image to retire

· Company reveals five new “flight personas” representing passengers and crew

· Company announces goal of 50:50 gender balance in leadership by 2022

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Virgin Atlantic’s long-standing classic “Flying Lady” image will be officially retired, replaced by five new “flight personas” to feature on the livery of the airline’s new A350-1000 fleet. These five new faces, representing contemporary British men and women, have now appeared on four newly delivered A350-1000 aircraft this year and will also be painted on eight more new planes arriving by the end of 2021.

The design of the Virgin Atlantic “Flying Lady” was inspired by ship figureheads dating back to the 16th century that are still in use today, and draws on the famous advertising pin-up girls illustrated by American artist Alberto Vargas in the 1930s and 1940s.

The new flight personas reflect the fresh direction of one of the UK’s most beloved brands — Virgin Atlantic. The airline has committed to closing the gender pay gap and enhancing diversity and inclusion across the company, values which are now reflected in its brand imagery. Virgin Atlantic aims to achieve a 50:50 gender balance in leadership roles by the end of 2022, and ensure at least 12% of its workforce are Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) employees.

Virgin Atlantic is not only a founding member of the Women in Aviation and Aerospace organization established in 2018, but also a signatory of the Women in Hospitality, Travel and Leisure charter (with Senior Vice President of People, Nikki Humphrey, serving on the board of the organization). The airline is also committed to increasing diversity through its engineering apprenticeship and pilot cadet programs. It has also created a “Springboard Network” to support women in junior roles as they plan clear career paths toward senior leadership positions.

Through its recent brand campaign, Virgin Atlantic became the first company to feature a same-sex couple in an Indian advertisement, and will be the world’s first airline to use a male figure as the mascot on the nose of its aircraft. To further promote inclusivity, the airline also recently announced updates to its uniform and makeup policies, allowing female staff to choose between trousers and skirts, and removing the previous requirement for female employees to wear makeup.

Nikki Humphrey, Senior Vice President of People at Virgin Atlantic, said:

“As the saying goes, ‘what gets seen, gets done’ — and nowhere is that more true than in the aviation industry. Over the years, we’ve worked hard to close the gender pay gap, build an inclusive workplace, increase the diversity of our people, and launch our women’s Springboard program and engineering apprenticeships. We hope these new flight personas will inspire people from all backgrounds to become loyal customers — or join our team.”