First gay-friendly airline gets off to a flying start

Source: Evening Standard - London

THE WORLD'S first "gay-friendly" airline is being launched by a former British Caledonian steward. Freedom Airways will fly out of Luton and Manchester airports, offering a service to capitalise on the growing strength of the "pink pound". With the gay rainbow flag as its insignia and an open-door policy towards all passengers, airline founder Martin Langham aims to provide the friendliest service in the skies.

Mr Langham, 34, hit on the idea of an airline that positively welcomed gay people like himself only four months ago. Although he has no previous management experience, he quickly won the support of the authorities and persuaded a consortium of backers to contribute tens of millions of pounds. "Not a single person has turned me down," he said. "Everybody has said it's a small miracle that we've managed to do it in so little time." Mr Langham's starting point was his own experience as a passenger and steward.

On a flight out to Bali on holiday, he fell asleep on his partner's shoulder and was woken by cabin crew to be asked not to be so intimate. "It's standard policy with same-sex couples on all airlines as far as I'm aware, and I believe there's room for an alternative approach," he said. Taking the lead from Virgin's passenger-friendly approach, Rainbow's staff will "interact with the passengers and make them feel at home". Rules will be slightly more relaxed for staff - "they won't all have to carry trays with their left hand", said Mr Langham. But he stressed that the airline would be strictly professional. "The uniforms are gorgeous but they are not camp in any way, we want people to take us seriously."

Freedom Airways has leased four Boeing 757s and a 767 for long- haul flights, and recruited dozens of experienced crew and backroom staff. Experienced operators including Virgin have been generous with advice. Britain's growing number of gay holiday tour operators have signed up to use Freedom Airways - some 23 in total. Destinations will include North Africa, Gran Canaria, Thailand, Indonesia, Burma, New Zealand, Australia, Florida and Los Angeles. Steve Jones, a reporter with Travel Weekly, said Freedom could be a success if it attracts a wide range of customers outside the gay minority. "Appealing to non-gay customers will be key," he said. However, he said one problem could be establishing the airline as a distinctively informal and friendly operator when the entire industry is rushing to adopt this approach.

Some of the 220 cabin crew for Luton and 80 to be based at Manchester have already been taken on. Open recruitment days will be held at The Con-naught Rooms in Holborn on 29 and 30 January. The first flight is scheduled to take off from Luton in late March or early April. Mr Langham said he plans to expand the concept if the early flights prove a success.

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