Air Canada to remove ‘ladies and gentlemen’ from onboard announcements

Air Canada is to ban staff from addressing passengers as “ladies and gentlemen” when making onboard announcements in an effort to be more gender inclusive.

Standard practice has been for passengers to be greeted with “ladies and gentlemen” or “mesdames et messieurs”.

The Canadian national carrier will soon update its official phrasing to address customers with “hello everyone” or “tout le monde”, reported CTV News Montreal.

“We will be amending our onboard announcements to modernise them and remove specific references to gender,” said a spokesperson.

“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.”

It’s not clear when the announcements will be updated.

Various airlines including United and Air Italy, as well as travel firm Travelport, allow customers to mark an “X” for their gender when booking a flight. However, the X will only be permissible if it matches the gender on the individual’s travel document.

The Independent has contacted Air Canada for a response.