Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) today announced a new accessibility guideline for customers with disabilities requesting special assistance at the airport and during flight and airline employees to ensure a safe and accessible journey when traveling by air during the COVID-19 crisis.
The guideline follows the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) “Guidance on Accessible Air Travel in Response to COVID-19“, which lays out the basic principles for airlines to follow on special assistance requests, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) of Japan’s updated measures to adjust to today’s traveling environment.
Based on the guidelines provided by the MLIT, JAL and ANA will act responsibly and respond to the needs of the traveling public, while strengthening efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Both carriers seek to provide a safe, secure and accessible travel experience.
Key Highlights include:
- Airlines jointly introduce new measures providing assistance involving physical contact; strengthen initiatives to ensure hand disinfection and sterilization and approaching diagonally or from the side to prevent direct transmission.
- New measures strengthen the ability to provide timely information for those with visual and/or hearing impairment.
- Carriers are committed to improving communication measures, and while masks are essential in protecting one’s health, the carriers will provide visual aids at the airport to overcome the difficulties that masks create for people with hearing disabilities.
1. Creating Hygienic Environments
Committing to create hygienic environments at airports, lounges, and inside the aircraft in order to provide greater safety and peace of mind when traveling under conditions of concern for infection with the novel coronavirus.
2. Appropriate and Adequate Measures to Prevent Infections
Implement appropriate and adequate measures to respond to customer needs and prevent the transfer of infectious diseases inflight.
3. Providing Information in Timely Fashion
Provide customers with updated information on infection prevention measures.
For more information, go to the carrier’s website below:
