Air Canada heads one step closer to recognizing gender neutrality by announcing that it will no longer address passenger by the familiar phrase “ladies and gentlemen” (or French “mesdames et messieurs”), but will opt for the more generic term “everybody” or “tout le monde”.
The move comes just months after Canadian citizens were given the option to list their gender as “X” rather than male or female on their passports and citizenship certificates.
In an email to CTV News, the airline noted that the new announcement procedure would be implemented to respect those who did not identify as male or female, but did not say when the change would take place.
“We will be amending our onboard announcements to modernize them and remove specific references to gender.
“We work hard to make sure all employees feel like valued members of the Air Canada family, while ensuring our customers are comfortable and respected when they choose to travel with us.”
U.S. airlines have also improved its stance on diversity and inclusion by allowing passengers to list their gender as “X” on boarding passes, while United Airlines was the first to allow travelers to book with a gender-neutral title.
[Featured Photo: BriYYZ/Flickr]
