Delta Air Lines’ top Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) official has sparked outrage after proposing to ban the terms “ladies and gentlemen” from departure lounge announcements.
Keyra Lynn Johnson, Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Social Impact Officer at Delta, called for an end to the polite greeting, questioning whether it was “gender-inclusive” enough.
The outlandish statement was first made during a February 2021 panel discussion with fellow DEI members. Johnson still heads the company’s DEI department.
“So we’re starting to take a good look at things like our gate announcements. You know, we say, ‘Ladies and Gentlemen,’ a warm welcome.
“And we asked ourselves, ‘Is this as gender-inclusive as we want it to be?’” she said, referring to the popular phrase.
Keyra Lynn Johnson, Delta’s Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Social Impact Officer, called for an end to the polite greeting, questioning whether it was “gender-inclusive” enough
Delta Air Line’s top chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) officer has sparked outrage after proposing to ban the terms “ladies and gentlemen” from departure lounge announcements
‘You know, we’re looking at some of the old texts in some of our staff guides.
‘And by getting to the heart of the way some things are being described and asking yourself, ‘Are there really signs of inclusivity now?’
The airline’s push for more inclusive language is not new.
In December 2020, Delta published a guide instructing employees to use “gender-neutral language and pronouns.”
“Do not use language that suggests a binary gender (male-female),” the guide explained.
In December 2020, Delta released a guide instructing employees to use “gender-neutral language and pronouns
The discussion sparked a debate on social media, with many people outraged by what Delta appeared to consider a priority.
“Delta is my favorite airline — but not right now,” wrote one critic on X.
‘Meanwhile, a “non-binary” person competed in the women’s division of the Olympics. This shit is that stupid. Make it logical. It can’t be,’ ranted another.
“Maybe Delta should be more concerned about punctuality, poor customer service, high prices and falling airplane doors,” another noted.
The discussion sparked a debate on social media, with many outraged at what Delta appears to be prioritizing
In 2021, Lufthansa also abolished the ‘ladies and gentlemen’ welcome speech on board in favor of gender-neutral alternatives.
A spokesman for Europe’s largest airline said the measure is intended to make all passengers on board feel welcome, including those who do not identify as male or female.
“The crew is instructed to choose a greeting that applies to all passengers,” he said, adding that “dear guests” or a simple “good morning/good evening” would be used instead.
Japan Airlines has also announced that it will use phrases such as “all passenger,” “good morning” and “good evening” in its English-language messages.
The former state-owned carrier became the first Japanese airline to change its announcements, after EasyJet and Air Canada modified their greetings in 2019.