National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines unveiled Tuesday a new set of uniforms for its pilots and cabin crew in what its executives claimed are the first changes in 15 years.

Aircrews of several Vietnam Airlines flights using the Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 will don the new uniforms from March 3 to 9 under a trial program, in which feedback from passengers and members of the public will be welcome, the carrier said.

With Vietnam Airlines female flight attendants known for their iconic red ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) since 1998, the new uniform is also ao dai, but with new colors.

Air hostesses for business class will wear yellow ao dai, whereas their colleagues for economy class will don the blue one.

The new colors suit the interior designs of the new Airbus A350 and Boeing B787-9 jetliners the airline is going to add to its fleet.

The red ao dai ...

... and the new outfit. Photos: Vietnam Airlines

The uniforms for pilots and male flight attendants will also see change in materials and cloth patterns.

A Vietnam Airlines representative said the new materials meet aviation safety standards, in the manner that they do not easily catch fire and they enable the wearers to feel comfortable on long-haul flights.

New pilot uniforms. Photo: Vietnam Airlines

Vietnam Airlines said it had been working closely with designers and culture and art experts to come up with the final design. Minh Hanh, a Vietnamese designer specializing in ao dai, is the designer in chief of the project.

The new uniform is intended to “keep the good impression of passengers on the Vietnamese ao dai,” according to the airline.

Passengers flying between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and Japan, South Korea, Australia, the UK, France, and Germany with Vietnam Airlines will be served by attendants wearing the new costumes.

The new uniform is part of Vietnam Airlines’ plan to give its brand recognition a facelift.

Other changes will be applied to the exterior and interior designs of the airplanes and items on planes and in waiting rooms in the carrier’s bid to win four-star recognition.

The new designs, however, were not greeted with support from all members of the public.

Many local netizens said on their Facebook pages that the new uniforms are not more beautiful than the old ones, whereas others said they will miss the old red ao dai, which they said is what makes Vietnam Airlines stand out from other carriers.

Vietnam Airlines pilots and cabin crew in old uniforms. Photo: Vietnam Airlines

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