ANA and JAL join forces to fight violent clients according to common guidelines

ANA Holdings Inc. and Japan Airlines Co. said Friday it will respond to customer harassment under jointly developed guidelines to prevent employees from leaving because of aggressive customers.

Japan’s two largest airline operators said the guidelines cover, among other things, customer behavior such as staff abuse, irrational demands and physical violence.

According to airlines, the guidelines also cover responding to unauthorized access to workplaces and damage to property.

Representatives of ANA Holdings Inc. (L) and Japan Airlines Co. They pose for photos at a press conference in Tokyo on June 28, 2024. Both companies will respond to customer harassment based on jointly developed guidelines as part of efforts to prevent employees from leaving due to aggressive customers. (Kyodo)

The decision comes as so-called kasu-hara, a Japanese slang term for harassing customers, has become a social problem in recent years in Japan, a country known for its culture of hospitality.

Both carriers are following the lead of 24-hour stores and rail companies in taking action to protect their employees from such abuses.

ANA and JAL said they would urge other airlines to take similar steps.

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