Not-So-Friendly Skies: Airline Bans Flight Attendants From Wearing Red Lipstick

Our proverbial hats are off to flight attendants. After all, not everyone has the fortitude to deal with everything that could go wrong on a flight: possible equipment malfunctions, the occasional belligerent passenger, and that weird rubbery chicken served at 35,000 feet. But, lipstick? That's never seemed like a problem — but Turkish Airlines believes otherwise.

Turkey's national airline, which is also Europe's fourth largest carrier, has banned its crew members from wearing red lipstick and nail polish. It's an attempt, according to the airline, to keep its in-flight staff "artless and well-groomed with makeup in pastel tones." That, and it doesn't match the overall ensemble. "As a consequence of our current cabin uniforms not including red, dark pink, et cetera, the use of lipstick and nail polish in these colors by our cabin crew impairs visual integrity," the airlines said in a statement.

While we're normally all for harmonious makeup-fashion pairings, and private companies can create a dress code, this direction is raising our eyebrows. Because, as the airline's critics have pointed out, this decision seems less about smart policies and more about controlling the appearance of its female workers. What's more, this is a state-run airline, and some secular critics worry that the restriction is a sign that religion is playing too strong a role in politics.

"I've never heard of a plane crashing because of a women's lipstick," said one passenger. Neither have we — and we hope this ban is overturned so that flight attendants can focus on more important issues. You know, like the guy in 12C who refuses to wear his headphones. (Reuters)