For nearly a quarter of a century, Malaysia’s low-cost behemoth AirAsia has perhaps been best identified by the bright red, tight-fitting uniforms that its (mainly) female cabin crew wore.
Short, above-the-knee skirts, sheer black tights, and open-neck shirts have become AirAsia’s signature look. In summary: a seductive and sexy look that was designed to grab your attention.
Until now, there was nothing modest about AirAsia’s uniform, but that’s set to change with the airline officially introducing hijab head coverings and trousers for Muslim female flight attendants.
Updated Uniform Rules Bring Hijab and Trousers For Female Crew For The First Time
Given that around 65% of Malaysia’s population considers itself to be Muslim, you might be forgiven for wondering why it has taken so long for AirAsia to let female crew members wear hijab.
Whatever the reason, it was only last week that the budget carrier officially unveiled a revamped uniform policy that includes hijab and trousers for female flight attendants.
The policy will officially take effect during Ramadan in 2026, which is expected to start around February 18th or 19th.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the airline explained the change was the result of “employee and public feedback.”
Commenting on the change, AirAsia’s flamboyant founder, Tony Fernandes, said it was important that the airline listen to the concerns of its cabin crew when they raised the issue with management.
“Respecting different views and beliefs is not only part of our culture but what has shaped our success over the years,” Fernandes explained. “This is how we grow: by evolving together, guided by the voices of our people.”
AirAsia Once Banned Female Cabin Crew From A Destination That Required a Hijab
Until now, AirAisa has only allowed crew members to wear hijab on specific flights where local authorities required female staff to have a head covering. AirAsia said this is the case in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, although the airline hasn’t always been so forthcoming with complying with these kinds of demands.
In 2019, AirAsia started to roster only male cabin crew on flights to the Indonesian province of Aceh, located on the Northern tip of Sumatra, because officials in the semi-autonomous province ruled that female crew members would have to don hijab on arrival.
Rather than requiring non-Muslim female crew to wear hijab, the airline decided at that time to only use male cabin crew. Clearly, AirAsia’s thinking on this has evolved over the last seven years.
Lawmakers Want Malaysia Airlines To Ban In-Flight Alcohol
That could, in part, be due to conservative lawmakers in Malaysia pushing to have Islamic rituals more widely accepted across the country. This has even led to increasing calls from the Islamist political party Perikatan Nasional to ban the flag carrier Malaysia Airlines from serving alcohol on board its flights.
Other politicians, however, have been quick to point out that one of Malaysia’s greatest strengths is that it is known as a moderate and welcoming country, and that enforcing Muslim traditions on non-believers could seriously harm Malaysia’s tourism industry.
Why You Don’t Often See Cabin Crew Wearing Hijab
While not completely unheard of, it’s pretty rare to see female cabin crew wearing hijab, although there is a simple explanation for this.
Cabin crew, regardless of their religion, are required to perform all of the job functions, and that includes serving alcoholic beverages. No exemptions are permitted, which means that Muslim staff can sometimes be excluded from this rule.
That’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of Muslim cabin crew around the world, but more orthodox Muslim crew may object to serving alcohol.
Bottom Line
AirAsia is finally introducing hijab and pants for female cabin crew after it listened to complaints from its workers. The new uniform policy is set to be introduced in February 2026, during the Holy month of Ramadan.
