entertainment

Flight attendants have something to say to Nicole Kidman.

Nicole Kidman’s new airline advertising campaign has hit turbulence.

Nicole Kidman is being criticised for her role in a new campaign for Etihad Airways.

In an open letter to the actress, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents over 25,000 workers, expresses its concern that Kidman‘s relationship with Etihad is at odds with her role as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador.

The letter reads:

Dear Ms. Kidman,

The 25,000 members of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants greatly admire and appreciate your efforts to advance women’s rights around the world as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador. Using your profile and stature for such a noble endeavor is commendable. However, we believe those efforts are at odds with your prominent role in an advertising campaign for Etihad Airways. The United Arab Emirates and their airlines are well-known in our industry for their discriminatory labor practices and deplorable treatment of female employees. Therefore, the APFA must respectfully ask that you – as a leading advocate for women around the globe – not lend your voice, your image, and your good name to Etihad Airways, the second- largest airline in the UAE.

Last month, on March 8, International Women’s Day, you said, “I envisage a world where all women and girls have equal opportunities and rights… Now is the time to step it up!” Later that very same week, we saw that you had begun appearing in a new campaign for Etihad.

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It goes on to mention a Wall Street Journal report that Etihad Airways fires women when they become pregnant, saying, “Etihad’s abhorrent labor policies are hardly surprising when one considers the fact that the airline is wholly owned by the UAE, a country where the only thing that is being “stepped up” for women and girls is the level of abuse.”

An Etihad spokesperson has rejected the claims, saying the airline fully supports their cabin crew during and after pregnancy.

Nicole Kidman snubbing the Grammy interview wasn’t #askhermore. It was just #rude.

According to the airline, upon notifying Etihad of a pregnancy, crew members are provided with ‘appropriate ground duties’, fully compensated, and entitled to paid maternity leave after they have completed a year of service.

“We invite and welcome members of APFA to visit our operations and meet our employees so they can experience firsthand the Etihad Airways workplace and culture,” the airline said.

Nicole Kidman speaks to Mamamia about losing her dad, loving her girls, and surviving.

Kidman’s controversial ad forms part of Etihad’s new “Hollywood Glamour” global brand campaign.

Watch the ad here:

Read the full letter here.

What do you think about Kidman’s involvement with Etihad?