KLM’s Embraer E190 has been flying the rainbow flag since this week. The airline does this in a diversity context, although not everyone is happy about this.
This aircraft is known as the PH-EZG. KLM wants to emphasize that every employee should feel at home. At least until August, airlines will fly with this appearance. “We underline these values and we also wanted to convey them with this special livery: a visible symbol for our employees and customers that you can be who you want to be,” explains Maarten Koopmans, director of KLM Cityhopper. Telegraph. This isn’t the first act on diversity. KLM previously introduced the option for travelers to select a neutral option when booking flights, instead of simply having to select ‘boy’ or ‘girl’. For now, only passengers from the Netherlands, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom can use this.
Criticism of the rainbow flag
While KLM is trying to represent as much interest as possible, not everyone is happy with the new look of the E190. Especially since the airline operates globally, the initiative cannot be equally successful in every country. Some countries see nothing in diversity. KLM addressed a large group of Muslim passengers with a rainbow flag. And what about our own Muslim employees,’ argued an unnamed KLM employee. Other employees believe that there are many other opportunities to be diverse. E190 with rainbow flag is not needed for this. ‘As a company operating internationally, the antenna has to be higher than the staff themselves, especially if it’s something to draw attention to. It can go wrong,” added an insider. However, KLM does not expect to get into international trouble, as this is not a ‘political statement’.
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