In a bold move against the European budget airline Ryanair, a self-identified “non-binary” passenger has filed a lawsuit, claiming the airline’s lack of gender-neutral title options constitutes “discrimination.” The legal battle arose after the passenger, whose name and gender have not been disclosed, attempted to book a flight from Gran Canaria to Germany in October 2021. During the booking process, the passenger was presented only with traditional title choices: “Herr” (Mr.), “Frau” (Mrs.), or “Fräulein” (Ms.).
Fast forward nearly two years to July 2023, and the passenger decided to take legal action, citing Germany’s General Equal Treatment Act. Notably, Germany is among 18 countries worldwide that recognize “nonbinary” as a gender identity, a key factor in the plaintiff’s case.
The plaintiff sought an out-of-court resolution, but Ryanair rebuffed this attempt earlier in the week. Consequently, this case is now set to be heard by the Berlin state court.
The passenger is pursuing $5,400 in damages and is advocating for Ryanair to implement gender-neutral title options in their booking process. This demand echoes the progressive steps taken by United Airlines, which, in 2019, became the first airline to introduce non-binary titles, allowing passengers to identify as “U” (undisclosed) or “X” (unspecified).
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Other airlines, including British Airways, have followed suit. Virgin Atlantic allows customers to give “U” or “X” gender codes on their booking, as well as the gender-neutral title “Mx”. It also allows pilots and crew to choose whether they want to wear skirts.
British Airways has embraced inclusivity by permitting male pilots and crew members to wear make-up, jewelry, and nail varnish. However, their website still falls short by not offering the title “Mx” among an extensive list of options spanning from “Mr” to “Viscount”.
In the spirit of inclusivity, airlines are moving away from gender-specific greetings like “ladies and gentlemen.” For instance, staff at Germany’s national airline, Lufthansa, have been instructed to use greetings such as “Dear guests” or simply “Welcome on board,” replacing the traditional “Willkommen an Bord, meine Damen und Herren.”
