IndiGo will be soon introducing a gender-neutral honorific option, 'Mx', for passengers during the ticket booking process. This move is part of the airline's efforts to boost inclusivity.
The country's largest carrier, which has a domestic market share of 62 per cent, also aims to increase by twofold the number of individuals with disabilities employed by it.
The airline will be introducing the 'Mx' option at the time of booking for passengers and that will provide a choice for transgenders who do not want to identify themselves, Sukhjit S Pasricha, Group Chief Human Resources Officer at IndiGo, told news agency PTI.
Pasricha said IndiGo has implemented various initiatives for the LGBTQ+ community, including employee referral programmes specifically designed to encourage hiring of LGBTQ+ individuals.
"This has strengthened candidate mobilisation through internal resources and fostered a more inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ employees... we partner with agencies specialising in LGBTQ+ recruitment," he said.
According to him, there is a steady induction of LGBTQ+ individuals and they are working in various functions, including flying, at the airline.
"Our benefits like gender reassignment surgery, inclusion of live-in partners in the medical insurance, has created an even more inclusive space, and has been one of the attractive features in our outreach to aspiring candidates from the community," he added.
Currently, 'male' and 'female' are the options available on the airline's website during the booking process. Air India Express and Vistara already offer the 'Mx' option for passengers at the time of booking tickets.
In addition to its LGBTQ+ initiatives, IndiGo aims to increase the number of individuals with disabilities employed by the airline by at least two-fold in the coming financial year.
Currently, the airline has over 240 individuals with disabilities employed across 60 cities, primarily in customer-facing roles such as customer service officers/executives for airport operations, with some also serving in cargo teams.
The placement of individuals with disabilities is determined based on multiple factors, including safety, accommodation requirements, and skill mapping.
At the end of March 31, 2024, the airline had 36,860 permanent employees, including 5,038 pilots and 9,363 cabin crew.
(PTI Inputs)
