The carrier on Thursday (26 September) revealed its pool of BSL trained crew had more than doubled over the past 18 months, and will be available to passengers on request.
Virgin Atlantic has pledged to increase the number of subtitled options on in-flight entertainment, as well as the clarity of services to special assistance contacts and support from customer service staff.
“Making all passengers feel included and empowered at every stage of the flight is a key part of our role as cabin crew,” said BSL trained crew member Emma Flanagan.
"Being able to go that one step further and do this in BSL for passengers is hugely rewarding, from ensuring everyone feels welcome to assisting with announcements, [and] to helping them to experience the full warmth and joy of a Virgin Atlantic journey.”
The commitments complement other inclusivity initiatives, including running BSL and deaf awareness training with deaf-led charity Remark! and making hearing loops available onboard.
Remark! head of services Robert Morgan described Virgin Atlantic’s decision as “commendable”, one he said would ensure effective communication in BSL while "demonstrating a commitment to cultural appropriateness and inclusivity".
Virgin Atlantic invited Jodie Ounsley, former rugby union player and star of BBC gameshow Gladiators, to put its efforts to the test on a flight from London to Washington DC.
Ounsley, who was born deaf and wears a cochlear implant, was joined by content creators Hermon and Heroda Berhane, who communicate using BSL.
“Until recently, I didn’t feel confident enough to fly on my own, but knowing airlines like Virgin Atlantic can provide specially trained crew with the awareness and understanding to make me feel comfortable onboard is really empowering," said Ounsley.
Feedback from Ounsley, Hermon and Heroda has been shared with Virgin Atlantic’s accessibility advisory board to help shape future processes and offerings.
Virgin Atlantic is not the only company offering BSL services; late last year, British Airways launched pre-flight and onboard signed video content for deaf or hard of hearing customers.
Accessible via a specific QR code, the videos contain information about BA’s proposition throughout the entire journey, as well as safety features and procedures onboard the aircraft.
It comes after Tui last September announced it was giving customers the option to have conversations with the agent and operator interpreted into BSL in real time. Customers who are deaf or hard of hearing can sign up to SignLive for free to Tui’s accessibility teams using BSL.
“This service means these customers can have conversations with our team to ensure they book the perfect holiday for them and get any additional support they might need,” said Tui customer experience director Sue Bradley.
’Travel isn’t yet as universally accessible as it aspires to be’
Efforts to bolster inclusivity come after it was revealed more than half of deaf holidaymakers worry about communicating with cabin crew when they fly, with nine in 10 feeling concerned about missing announcements or important information.
Data from research conducted by deaf charity RNID highlighted how 81% of deaf holidaymakers would welcome awareness training as an aviation standard, with 80% of respondents revealing that having trained staff would make them feel more comfortable when travelling.
