Japan Airlines Receives Diamond Certification, 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating
Japan Airlines (JAL) became the first airline in Japan to successfully receive Diamond Certification for providing the highest levels of safety measures throughout the travel experience. The inaugural audit was conducted by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) and SimpliFlying, in which the respective organizations evaluated and validated JAL`s COVID-19 safety measures through an extensive 58-point checklist. According to the audit, there are three levels in its certification process, and airlines are rated as Gold, Platinum, or Diamond status. An airline that exceeds in every category is awarded a Diamond Certification, which Japan Airlines successfully achieved in the inaugural health safety audit.
IMAGE from Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines Executive Officer for Products & Services Planning Yasuyuki Sato said “In response to the severe COVID-19 situation, our first priority was to swiftly implement key safety initiatives to protect our valued customers and provide peace of mind throughout the travel experience. Although we are pleased to hear that these efforts over the past year have been highly evaluated, the air travel industry continues to face a challenging situation in 2021 and beyond. As such, we will continue to provide a safe and secure travel experience so that our customers can travel with confidence on a JAL Group flight.”
SimpliFlying Chief Executive Officer Shashank Nigam said, “Japan Airlines has raised the bar for health safety in the industry by initiatives, such as enhanced cleaning of key touchpoints especially cabin lavatories. Taking such hospital-grade measures in ensuring health safety will help bolster trust among travelers.”
Over the past year, the carrier introduced key safety initiatives under the JAL FlySafe Program and became one of the first airlines to adopt and implement the recommended guidelines as described in the International Civil Aviation Organization’s CART (Council Aviation Recovery Task Force) Take-off Guidance, and also offers complimentary COVID-19 coverage for international Passengers.
JAL flight attendants/IMAGE from Japan Airlines
JAL has also been certified by Skytrax with a 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating, becoming one of the few airlines worldwide to achieve the accolade. The Skytrax COVID-19 Rating is a trusted assessment and certification of airline health and safety measures during the coronavirus pandemic that is based on professional and scientific investigation of the standards being provided by an airline at the airport and onboard flights.
JAL President Yuji Akasaka said, “Since the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the JAL Group has taken proactive steps to implement and strengthen key measures against COVID-19 to provide customers a safe and secure travel experience. Through the efforts of our dedicated staff at the JAL Group, it is certainly an honor to be certified and receive the highest 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by Skytrax. The JAL Group will continue to strengthen our COVID-19 measures and look forward to the day when people around the world can travel safely.”
Edward Plaisted of Skytrax said “Japan Airlines is a consistent industry leader in matters of cleanliness and hygiene, and we are delighted to see that the airline has reinforced these already robust protocols to lower the risks of coronavirus transmission. The airline has applied a great deal of Japanese logic and efficiency in the setup of high-movement areas such as check-in, boarding, and arrival, and has introduced practical and genuinely useful technologies to assist customers on their journey. The combination of factors here is vital to reinforce confidence in air travel.”
JAL’s 5-Star Key Measures
1) Well-measured portfolio of safety practices to reduce the risks related to the spread of COVID-19
– Enhancing physical distancing, and hand hygiene
– Increasing disinfection and cleaning protocols in the airport and onboard flights
2) Touchless technologies
– Domestic check-in and bag-drop
– Robot customer service assistants to help customers with flight information
Even prior to the global pandemic, Japan Airlines has maintained a high level of cleanliness, placing second worldwide by Skytrax in the recent Best Airline Cabin Cleanliness ranking. Over the past year, the carrier introduced key safety initiatives under the “JAL FlySafe Program” and became one of the first airlines to adopt and implement the recommended guidelines as described in the International Civil Aviation Organization’s CART (Council Aviation Recovery Task Force) Take-off Guidance, and also offers complimentary COVID-19 coverage3 for international passengers.
The JAL Group will continue to adopt and implement key measures, as the airline fully understands the need to restore public confidence in air travel.
This is a press release. Minor edits were made prior to publishing.
