It may seem like an odd conversation in 2016, but until now, female crew members working for British Airways did not have the option of wearing uniform pants as part of their dress code. Instead, they were were required to wear skirts.

It took two years, but British Airways made a change to the dress code. The code was enforced for any new recruit joining the team after 2012, allowing only for medical and religious exemptions. The crew union, Unite, said 83 percent of their members — male and female — felt the dress code change needed to happen.

The change goes a long way in providing for the comfort and self-expression of its crew members, but it’s also important for safety, according to Matt Smith, a regional officer from Unite. 

“Not only is the choice to wear trousers a victory for equality it is also a victory for common sense and testament to the organizing campaign of our members,” he says. “Female cabin crew no longer have to shiver in the cold, wet and snow of wintery climates, but also can be afforded the protection of trousers at destinations where there is a risk of malaria or the Zika virus.”

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