SHANGHAI (SCMP): A Chinese airline has sparked controversy online after it announced plans to hire married women and mothers as flight attendants and call them “air aunties”.
On October 22, the Shanghai-based Spring Airlines, China’s first budget carrier, announced openings for “air aunties”, saying they are seeking women aged between 25 and 40, preferably those who are married or with children.
Applicants must have at least a bachelor’s degree, be between 162 and 174cm tall and preferably have experience in customer service.
The roles are based in Shanghai and the northwestern city of Lanzhou, with plans to hire 30 to 60 people.
Chinese airlines usually hire flight attendants between 18 and 25.
A recruitment manager told China News Service that the so-called air aunties bring valuable life experience and empathy, which help them better care for children and elderly passengers.
Spring Airlines said the move is part of its effort to grow its workforce while supporting more diverse job opportunities for women. In China, the legal retirement age for women is usually 50.
The airline’s move quickly made headlines on mainland social media, racking up more than 70 million views.
Many people bristled at the term “air aunties”.
One online observer wrote: “This title is so disrespectful to women. It highlights that they are older and married.”
Another person said: “The word auntie carries a heavy family tone. It makes people think of traditional housewives taking care of husbands and kids.”
Spring Airlines said they had no intention of causing offence.
“We wanted to distinguish them from unmarried applicants. Their duties, pay and career paths are the same as any other flight attendant,” a company representative said.
The airline also noted that the term “air auntie” traces back to the 1990s, when China’s civil aviation industry first began recruiting laid-off female textile workers as flight attendants, and the label has stuck.
It is not the first time Spring Airlines has opened its doors to married women and mothers.
According to the mainland media outlet Chao News, the airline currently employs 88 “air aunties”, 74 per cent of whom have already moved into management roles.
One married female flight attendant said in an interview: “We actually have an edge over fresh graduates. We have worked before, raised kids and cared for elders. We also naturally take on the big-sister role in the team.”
Spring Airlines also offers discounted training fees for older applicants, though it is unclear whether the company plans to hire older male flight attendants.
One social media user praised the move, saying it marks progress for China’s airline industry by shifting attention from looks and youth to skill and professionalism.
Another netizen suggested that the airline should take it a step further by using one title for all flight attendants, regardless of age or gender. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
