Skift Take
Throughout its 40-year history, Virgin Atlantic has made its name by shaking up the airline establishment. This move suggests that when cultural sensitivities are concerned, even a trailblazer can have its limits.
Virgin Atlantic is launching a major new route from Heathrow to Saudi Arabia next March and it is finding it needs to balance some of its policies to conform to local customs.
In recent years, the airline has been proactive in its diversity messaging. The airline’s Gender Identity Policy, published in 2022, allows cabin crew, pilots, and ground personnel to choose which uniform best represents them. This is irrespective of their gender, gender identity, or gender expression. At the time, Virgin said the move “cements its position as the most inclusive airline in the skies.”
However, Virgin Atlantic confirmed to Skift it is advising its crew on Saudi flights not to wear uniforms that do not reflect the gender shown on their passport.
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: “We carry out risk assessments of every destination we fly to, for the safety of our people. Following this risk assessment, to ensure the safety of our crew traveling to Saudi Arabia, we advise our crew should wear the uniform that reflects the gender shown in their passport.”
The decision isn’t the first time Virgin’s gender-neutral stance has come under pressure. In 2022, the airline said the uniform policy would not apply to crew on board a special flight carrying the England football team to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
‘Everyone is Welcome,’ Saudi Says
Saudi Arabia’s tourism website addresses LGBTQ+ travel in an FAQ section: “Everyone is welcome to visit Saudi. We ask that visitors respect our culture and traditions and follow our laws as they would when visiting any other country in the world,” it says. “Like other governments around the world, visitors are not required to disclose their personal information and we will respect visitors’ right to privacy.”
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy, first announced in 2016, outlines an economic transformation plan with tourism as a central pillar. The Saudi Ministry of Tourism has upped its 2030 target by another 50 million visitors, to a total of 150 million a year by the start of the new decade.
On LinkedIn, Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss noted that the new service is launching in time “to participate in the growth expected from Saudi Vision 2030.”
Weiss also referenced the carrier’s inclusivity: “We can’t wait to bring our iconic and inclusive brand, award-winning experience, and our exceptional team to new customers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Weiss said.
Perception was one of the key topics discussed by Saudi Tourism Authority CEO Fahd Hamidaddin in May. Speaking at an event attended by Skift about Saudi’s tourism push he said: “Let people come and make their own judgments. No matter what we claim, it’s not the same [as seeing it]. By 2030, a lot of perceptions can change. A lot of people may still say it might not be safe, people can always find an angle to dislike.”
Delta Air Lines – which owns 49% of Virgin Atlantic – signed a preliminary agreement with Riyadh Air in July. The deal makes Delta the exclusive North American partner for the Saudi start-up airline. Delta and Virgin already partner with national carrier Saudia through the SkyTeam alliance.
Virgin Atlantic’s African Expansion
Saudi Arabia wasn’t alone in joining the Virgin Atlantic route map this week. New flights from Heathrow to Accra were also confirmed, launching on May 1, 2025. It marks a return to the Ghanaian capital for Virgin after it pulled out of the African country in 2013.
The carrier said the move will provide “much-needed competition” on the route. British Airways currently has a monopoly on nonstop flights between the two cities. As well as serving the Ghanaian diaspora in the U.K., Virgin said around 10% of Accra customers are expected to connect through London onto its New York JFK service.
The airline is likely to run into similar tensions between its Gender Identity Policy and local customs in Ghana. The country has some of Africa’s strictest anti-LGBTQ+ laws, with even tougher rules reportedly under consideration.
Virgin’s Underdog Mentality
The Virgin website notes that company founder Sir Richard Branson and the wider brand “have been proud supporters of the LGBTQ+ community for more than 50 years – right from when Richard founded Student magazine and the Student Advisory Centre.”
This goes beyond simply modifying a corporate logo on social media for Pride Month.
Major commercial partnerships include title sponsorship of the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards – one of the UK’s largest LGBTQ+ events. The carrier also partnered with RuPaul’s Drag Race star Michelle Visage to launch its new gender-neutral uniform policy as part of a wider ‘See the World Differently’ campaign.
Other initiatives include passengers being invited to collect a preferred pronoun badge at the check-in desk or airport lounge ahead of their flight.
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