British Airways has instructed pilots and cabin crew not to refer to passengers as ‘ladies and gentlemen’ in an effort to celebrate ‘diversity and inclusion’.

Britain’s flagship carrier has abandoned the greeting in favour of more gender-neutral terms, reportedly to respect wider social norms and make children feel included…

Japan Airlines began using gender-neutral terms last year to ‘create a positive atmosphere and treat everyone… with respect’.

The Australian airline Qantas launched its ‘Spirit of Inclusion’ initiative in 2018 to encourage staff to refrain from using gender-specific terms, while US carrier Delta Air Lines is soon to start using such greetings during onboard announcements to create ‘a safe, comfortable and respectful space for all of our customers and employees’.