Recently, the Spring Airlines official website listed the job requirements for new female cabin crew, stating the age limit as 25-40 and referring to them as kongsao rather than the conventional kongjie. Kong comes from the Chinese word for aviation (hangkong), while jie means elder sister and sao means elder brother's wife.

The Shanghai-based airline stressed the change of addresses was made to avoid suggesting applicants should be unmarried and child‑free but there is no difference in the job description. The objective, it said, is to optimize cabin service for passengers because kongsao can be more experienced in taking care of children.

It also noted it initiated its first kongsao recruitment in October 2010 and subsequently released several recruitment notices seeking kongsao.

While the change in term is not new, once the news spread, it sparked intense debate, focusing on whether it's necessary to define the married and child-bearing stewardesses as kongsao, instead of continuing the old address kongjie.

Yu Xinping (People.com.cn): When kongjie is already a widely used and accepted address for female cabin crew, calling a particular group kongsao gives the impression that they're being singled out and labeled. Many people argue that the kongsao nickname is unnecessary, saying that being a member of cabin crew is a profession in itself and has nothing to do with whether someone has children, or that if they do the same job, there's no reason to change the title.

Some people argue that when a group is labeled, it can lead to that cohort being stigmatized. Calling young women kongjie while calling older ones kongsao inadvertently exposes deep-rooted age and gender bias among many people.

People's frustration with this labeling has shaped a shared consensus: In the service industry, professional competence should not be defined by age, gender or marital status, and eliminating unnecessary labels and classifications will make employment more equitable.

Shi Yimin (China Youth Daily): In terms of their responsibilities and duties, kongjie and kongsao are identical. Thus, the public need not worry that calling some cabin crew kongsao will create new employment discrimination, nor should they become overly fixated on the label itself.

For years, cabin crew have been burdened with a host of extra expectations. The label "young and attractive" has become a conspicuous tag attached to this profession. Yet an overemphasis on "youth and beauty" can unknowingly or deliberately eclipse their core responsibilities, and it undermines efforts to build a healthy, sustainable career path for them.

According to Spring Airlines, kongsao possess strong interpersonal affinity and adaptability, giving them an advantage in serving children and handling emergencies.

In 2018, Spring Airlines released stories of the many kongsao who have performed well and been promoted. One applied at age 40, joined the airline, within two years rose to the rank of chief flight attendant, and advanced to a higher position later. Many of the kongsao Spring Airlines has recruited have been promoted to managerial positions.

Ensuring passenger safety, communicating amicably with passengers and managing both routine and emergency situations are the foremost duties for cabin crew. After all, when encountering issues at 10,000 meters, no passenger will care whether the crew member is a kongjie or a kongsao. They value only the smile that accompanies the settlement of the problem. BR

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson

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