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. pose for photos at a news conference in Tokyo June 28, 2024. Both companies are expected to respond to customer harassment under jointly developed guidelines as part of efforts to prevent employees from leaving because of aggressive customers. (Kyodo)

This decision results from the fact that the so-called kasu-hara, a Japanese slang term for customer harassment, has become a social problem in recent years in Japan, a country known for its culture of hospitality.

Both carriers are following in the footsteps of convenience stores and rail companies in taking steps to protect their employees from such abuses.

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

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