Following the resurgence of “air rage” incidents after the epidemic, Japan’s two largest commercial airlines have introduced new regulations, where passengers who verbally abuse or physically assault flight attendants will face the risk of being removed from the aircraft.
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways (ANA) updated their “passenger harassment” policies on their websites last Friday (June 28), listing nine behaviors that constitute harassment, including:
1. Verbal abuse, threatening language, insults, discrimination, defamation.
2. Threatening behavior.
3. Demanding excessive or unreasonable requests.
4. Physical attacks.
5. Disrupting operations (prolonged stays, excessive repetitive requests or complaints).
6. Unauthorized entry into work areas.
7. Deceiving employees.
8. Defaming the company or employees on social media and the internet.
9. Sexual harassment.
ANA’s passenger harassment policy also includes peeping, stalking, and indecent behavior, highlighting a significantly changed work environment for airline employees.
Both airlines’ policies stipulate that passengers harassing staff will receive warnings, and further consequences may include being denied boarding and police involvement.
Data from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) shows that in the United States, incidents of “air rage” surged from around 10 cases per month before the COVID-19 pandemic to about 500 cases per month in 2021, with most incidents related to mask issues.
The FAA website indicates a sharp decline in incidents afterward, but recent increases suggest that “more work still needs to be done.”
According to the Japan Times, in January of this year, a drunken passenger bit a flight attendant, causing an ANA flight to return to Tokyo.
Yoshiko Miyashita, ANA’s Vice President responsible for customer service promotion and customer experience management, told Nikkei Asia that these policies aim to address difficulties faced by employees in handling customer interactions due to the lack of clear standards.
She said, “This has placed a heavy burden on our employees, leading to some staff being forced to take leave.”
As a result, Japan Airlines has provided post-incident support for employees’ physical and mental well-being. The company also mandates that employees undergo harassment training – providing them with a handbook detailing how to promptly and appropriately respond to “malicious” behavior.