After coming under fire for having stringent policies for female flight attendants, Qatar Airways has relaxed some constraints on them.
The air carrier was accused by the International Labor Organization in June of discriminating against female workers. The carrier's policy stated that attendants had to remain single for the first five years working for the company. Qatar Airways also required workers to ask permission before changing their marital status, and could immediately dismiss attendants who became pregnant.
According to The National, 80 percent of the company's 9,500 flight attendants are women. Now, as the carrier leans toward expanding its staff (an estimate 6,000 new workers will be added) and aircraft in the next two years, new contracts have been issued for female flight attendants.
Akbar El Baker, Qatar Airways' chief executive, had previously lambasted the ILO for having "a vendetta" against the airline, but said that female attendants' contracts have been changed to allow them to marry with previous notification to the management. As for pregnant workers, they will be transferred to ground work temporarily.