Japan Airlines said it would retire the phrase “ladies and gentlemen” from in-flight announcements made in English, a symbolic step toward inclusivity in a country where activists have long fought to change entrenched gender traditions.
Announcements in Japanese would remain unchanged because gender-specific greetings are not used in the first place.
The announcement Monday appeared to be the first for a Japanese carrier, as airlines and subway systems around the world have been phasing out gender-specific language in recent years. (In 2017, British officials said that they would roll out “Hello, everyone” on the London Underground.)
Mark Morimoto, a Japan Airlines spokesman, said Tuesday that greetings and announcements in English at the airport and in the cabin would use gender-neutral language such as “all passengers” or “everyone” — or avoid gender-specific phrases altogether — starting Thursday.
