GERMANY: Lufthansa unveils a new uniform for its stewardesses - allowing them to take a little bit of Bavaria on board

German airline Lufthansa intends to introduce some cultural traditions to the airways after unveiling a new uniform for its female cabin crew at Munich airport on Friday (September 1). The stewardesses' new uniform is the traditional Bavarian dirndl - consisting of round-necked long blue dress worn over a short-sleeved white shirt, with a white pinafore on top. And the reason for this nod to tradition? The upcoming annual Munich beer festival, the Oktoberfest. During the festival, one of the largest beer festivals and one of Germany's biggest tourist events, drinkers are normally served by waitresses in traditional Dirndl dresses. The new uniform had its debut on Friday's flight from Munich to New York. The stewardesses are set to wear the traditional outfits between September 1 and the end of the Oktoberfest on October 3 on flights between Munich and North America and Asia. The Head of Lufthansa hub management in Munich airport, Karl-Ulrich Garnardt, said that ground staff have previously worn traditional costume during the Oktoberfest. He said that this time the cabin crew themselves suggested wearing dirndl. "It was the employees who took the initiative, and we gladly accepted it," he told Reuters. Air stewardess Anja Bruckmeier explained that she and the other cabin crew were looking forward to wearing the new uniform. "We are here as Bavarian ambassadors and we are pleased that we've been given the honour of being able to do this wearing dirndl. It's a nice feeling for us, something different from normal uniform," she said. Meanwhile, pilot Walter Spierling said he regretted not being able to wear his own traditional costume of lederhosen, but joked that he wondered how the American authorities would react to the dirndl. "I would have liked to have worn my lederhosen. I've got a nice pair of lederhosen, made from deerskin, and a pair of traditional brogues and some tights," he said. "But we aren't allowed, so that at least one person is allowed in when we get to New York. I don't know if they let in dirndl at security. Let's see what happens." The Oktoberfest beer festival begins in Munich on September 16, and lasts until October 3. ENDS.

ITN Source | September 2, 2006

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