BRITISH AIR LINES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 23, 28 January 1937, Page 15

BRITISH AIR LINES.

ALL MALE STEWARDS.

NO "HOSTESSES."

LONDON, January 2. British air line operators have no intention of following the American aud Continental system of employing "air hostesses" on their machines." It has been found that the work required can be done as usefully by experienced male stewards.

'In all our air liners we employ two nien to look after the needs of the passengers." said a representative of the Imperial Airways. "They are fullvqualitied stewards, with long experience in ships or trains. Sometime* we are asked why we do not have women stewards—or air hostesses, as the Americans call them—and the example of ships is quoted. Really, the situation is not the same. A ship may be at sea for weeks, and a woman needing feminine help in an emergency would be in a serious plight if no women stewards were employed.

"In an air liner, even on the long distance Continental routes, the machine is never in the air for more than about three hours at a stretch and on landing at the official stopping places women officials are available."