Japan Airlines has announced that, as of October 1, it will discontinue addressing its passengers as "ladies and gentlemen" during in-flight announcements made in English.
The idea is to move toward using more gender-neutral language, which The New York Times called a, "symbolic step toward inclusivity in a country where activists have long fought to change entrenched gender traditions." The shift aligns with a movement in recent years among worldwide airlines, trains, subways, etc. toward phasing out gender-specific phrases.
Mark Morimoto, a Japan Airlines spokesman, confirmed that greetings and announcements made in English, both within plane cabins and at the airport, would incorporate such gender-neutral language as "all passengers" or "everyone". Announcements made in Japanese will remain unchanged, since gender-specific greetings are not used to begin with.
The announcement arrives amid increasing pushback from gender-equality and LGBT+ rights advocates against Japan's rigid societal strictures and its overall conservativism. The Japanese government still outlaws same-sex marriage, despite soaring public support, and being openly gay remains mostly taboo.
"We aspire to be a company where we can create a positive atmosphere and treat everyone, including our customers, with respect," Morimoto told Reuters. "We have committed to not discriminate based on gender, age, nationality, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or other personal attributes."
Japan Airlines isn't alone in its decision to cut the phrase "ladies and gentlemen" from its announcements. Air Canada and European low-cost carrier EasyJet took the same stance just last year.
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