Air Canada will no longer greet passengers as “ladies and gentlemen” but instead with the gender-neutral term “everybody,” according to an internal memo to employees on Monday obtained by the French media outlet La Presse.
The change applies to gate agents, flight attendants and pilots when making public address announcements.
“We will be amending our onboard announcements to modernize them and remove specific references to gender,” the airline said in a statement. “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.”
Air Canada did not announce when the change will go into effect.
Unsurprisingly, the decision was met with a harsh response on social media websites like Twitter, where many users complained.
The decision comes after Airlines for America (A4A), an industry trade group, announced it will expand gender options for U.S. passengers booking flights, including “unspecified” and “undisclosed,” according to CNN.
