The Trans Flight Attendants Of PC Air

Remember when I wrote about the Thai startup airline that garnered lots of media attention by planning to hire trans flight attendants?    Thought it was time for an update on the story and the airline that was supposed to be starting service to Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Osaka, China and South Korea in March.

PC Air has a web page up but has yet to make their flight schedule public.

According to various news reports there were 100 Thai transwomen who applied for the flight attendant jobs and four were hired.

The four ladies chosen were Nathatai Sukkaset, 26, Dissanai Chitpraphachin, 24, Chayathisa Nakmai, 24 and Phuntakarn Sringern, 24.    One of the interesting footnotes in this initial class of trans flight attendants is that Dissanai is a 2007 Miss Tiffany's titleholder.

PC Air's Peter Chan is quoted as saying he will hire more trans flight attendants, but he might want to concentrate on getting his airline up and flying first and making money .  

Those pictures are of the hair and makeup training sessions for the PC Air flight attendants.    Will keep an eye on this ongoing story to see if PC Air ever takes off from Bangkok to any of the Asian destinations they wish to serve with our Thai transsisters providing quality customer service along the way.

New Thai Airline Hiring Trans Flight Attendants

PC Air is not flying yet and hopes to be doing so across Asia by April, but when it does take to the friendly skies it will have transwomen in its flight attendant ranks.

The initial PC Air crews will have three transsexuals, 17 women, and 10 men in their ranks.


'Our initial quota was set at three transsexuals, but we will consider taking more in the future depending on their qualifications,' a PC Air spokeswoman said.

One thing that does concern me is that according to that same spokeswoman, the trans attendants will wear a special gold-colored "third-sex" name tag to help passengers and immigration authorities know what gender they are dealing with. 

That special tag could potentially open them up to discrimination as well..


Peter Chan, the president of PC Air stated recently that the recruitment of trans women in the "Land of Smiles' would continue.   His company's recruitment of transwomen was motivated by a belief in equal rights and complaints by Thai transwomen about the employment discrimination they face. 

"I think these people can have many careers, not just in the entertainment business, and many of them have a dream to be an air hostess. I just made their dream come true," he said.

Over 100 Thai transwomen applied for the jobs including 2007 Miss Tiffany winner Thanyarat "Film" Jiraphatpakorn, who was successful in garnering one of the three flight attendant jobs slotted for transwomen.


The airline is not requiring candidates to have gone through genital surgical procedures.   PC Air only desires that they meet job criteria that include language skills and good service.

"When it's their dream job or the job they love, they can do it even better," Chan said.  "Our society has changed -- it's evolution. I'm a pioneer, and I'm sure there will be (other) organizations following my idea."

We can only hope and pray other air carriers will follow your lead as well Mr. Chan, and may you have much success when your airline does start up its charter flights.  

Continental's Last Day

I spent 14 years working for Continental Airlines, and I like many past and present employees of the 'Proud Bird With The Golden Tail' are saddened that today is the last one that Continental will be flying around the world as an independent air carrier.

76 years of airline history goes away tomorrow as the Continental-United merger takes effect.  The merged carrier will be based in Chicago and bear the United name but keep the Continental golden globe logo and the CAL colors on its aircraft.


Tomorrow a new carrier emerges that will the largest airline in the world.  The stock gets merged tomorrow, but it will be a few years before the other physical changes like new uniforms, aircraft being painted over and signage replacement happens before the Continental name fades into aviation history for good. 

The globe logo and the colors will endure for a while as the new logo and colors of the merged airline.

But for those of us who were part of its remarkable 76 year history and who busted our behinds to turn it from worst to award winning first during the 90's and keep it there, it will be a bittersweet day.