Japan Airlines the latest to drop gendered greetings

Japan Airlines has implemented a new policy to replace the term “ladies and gentlemen” in both its in-flight and airport announcements, in favour of gender-neutral expressions.

The airline has said it will use phrases such as “all passengers”, “good morning” and “good evening” in its English language announcements, in efforts to be more inclusive of individuals from all walks of life. 

In its Japanese announcements, the airline already opts for the gender-neutral greeting “minni-sama”, which means “everybody”, so the changes will only be applied to its non-Japanese announcements, the airline said.

“We have committed to not discriminate based on gender … sexual orientation, gender identity or other personal attributes,” a JAL spokesperson told the media.

The airline hopes to “create a positive atmosphere and treat everyone… with respect”, the spokesperson added.

Japan Airlines joins a growing number of carriers choosing to adopt gender-neutral language both onboard the aircraft and throughout the check-in and airport experience.

Air Canada, Qantas and easyJet have all dropped gendered passenger greetings in favour of all-inclusive expressions, such as “welcome everyone”.

Meanwhile, many carriers, including United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and British Airways, have changed their procedures to allow for a third ‘other’ option when selecting a gender for air travel tickets, catering to non-binary or otherwise non-typical gendered passengers.

In March, Japan Airlines also changed its internal procedures to allow for female flight attendants to wear trousers and flat shoes in lieu of the traditional uniform and heels, should they choose to.

Despite the fact that Japan currently does not legally recognise same-sex partnerships or allow for the marriage of same-sex couples, JAL has previously supported the LGBT+ community in Japan.

To coincide with a Pink Dot LGBT event on the southern island, the carrier conducted an LGBT Ally Charter flight in August 2019, the first of its kind in Japan, from Tokyo to Okinawa.

The airline joins a growing trend of Japanese companies offering their support to same-sex couples, as well as introducing training on LGBT issues.