Air Canada flight staff will no longer greet passengers by calling them “ladies and gentlemen,” the company announced, in an effort to include all genders. Air Canada non-binary

Instead of the gender-specific “ladies and gentlemen” (or French “mesdames et messieurs”), flight attendants are to address passengers as “everybody” or “tout le monde” instead.

The announcement was made over the weekend, according to the country’s CTV News and La Presse. The airline has not specified when the change will be implemented and has not yet responded to Business Insider’s request for comment.

“The change will be reflected in the transmission of the Onboard Announcement Manual as part of our commitment to respect sexual identity, diversity, and inclusion,” La Presse cited an internal memo as saying.

A spokesperson for the company also told CTV: “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.”

Non-binary passengers Air Canada non-binary

The policy change came four months after Canadian authorities started to allow non-binary citizens to mark their gender as “X,” rather than male or female, on their passports.

Many airlines are also updating their restroom facilities to be more inclusive of non-binary passengers. This includes providing gender-neutral or all-gender restrooms on their flights or at their airports.

Airlines are educating their employees about non-binary identities and how to provide respectful and inclusive service to all passengers. This training can help employees understand the unique needs and experiences of non-binary individuals.

Many airlines around the world now offer gender-neutral options when booking a flight.

Here are a few examples: 

1. United Airlines: United Airlines introduced the gender-neutral title “Mx.” in 2019, and also allows passengers to choose “undisclosed” or “unspecified” as their gender when booking a flight.
2. American Airlines: American Airlines introduced a non-binary gender option in 2019, allowing passengers to choose “U” for “undisclosed” or “X” for “unspecified” as their gender when booking a flight.
3. Delta Airlines: Delta Airlines allows passengers to choose “unspecified” or “undisclosed” as their gender when booking a flight and also offers gender-neutral restrooms on many of its flights.
4. Air Canada: Air Canada introduced gender-neutral options in 2019, including the title “Mx.” and allowing passengers to select “X” as their gender when booking a flight.
5. Qantas: Qantas introduced gender-neutral options in 2020, allowing passengers to choose “Mx.” as their title and “non-binary” or “gender-diverse” as their gender when booking a flight.

It’s important to note that policies and procedures may vary by airline and country. However, many airlines are taking steps to be more inclusive of non-binary passengers, and this trend is likely to continue in the future.