“Attention All Passengers”: Air Malta Drops Gender-Specific Language

Air Malta announced Tuesday it would eliminate the use of gender-specific language on its flights.

The airline is doing away with gendered language, such as, “Welcome aboard ladies and gentlemen,” in favor of phrases such as, “Attention all passengers.” Employees will also use words such as “guests,” and other generic terms, instead of gender-specific terms that could alienate guests who are non-binary or transgender, the airline said.

“Diversity and equality are core values at Air Malta, and the airline welcomes all its customers, irrespective of their nationality, race, political ideology, religion, and gender,” Air Malta told Maltese publication Times of Malta.

According to Yahoo! News, in an internal memo to employees, Air Malta executive chairman David Curmi said the new rules apply when addressing customers, both in the air and on the tarmac.

“For an airline with a multicultural clientele, inclusion is a very important value, and we want to express this attitude shift in our language as well,” Curmi said.

The airline said it will include the new language in all documentation, including contracts and operation manuals.

The move follows parallel changes from Japanese Airlines, Air Canada, and EasyJet that have already introduced similar language.

Others outside the airline industry have also moved away from gendered language. In May, Pennsylvania State University moved to eliminate “gendered” and “binary” terms such as “upperclassman.”

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