Japanese cabin crew have won an important legal victory reinforcing a core principle of aviation safety: fatigue protections and rest cannot be sacrificed to commercial pressure and union rights are fundamental to safety too.
“This ruling sends a clear message that commercial pressures on turnaround times and aircraft utilisation cannot come at the expense of safety for passengers or crew,” said Sara Nelson, Chair of ITF’s Civil Aviation Section. “Fatigue is the asbestos of the aviation industry. Cabin crew are safety professionals first and foremost, and our right to rest is fundamental to keeping passengers safe.”
In a series of rulings involving Jetstar Japan, courts and labour authorities upheld the rights of cabin crew to genuine rest, safe working conditions and freedom from anti-union retaliation.
“The treatment of Jetstar Japan cabin crew exposed here is a safety issue,” Nelson said. “Cabin crew are aviation’s first responders. We rely on them to evacuate us or respond to a medical emergency on board – exhausted crew can’t do that as effectively. Forcing crew to work excessive hours without real breaks puts everyone at risk.”
The case was brought by the Jetstar Crew Association (JCA) representing cabin crew at Jetstar Japan, with support from ITF- affiliated Kohkuren. During proceedings, it was revealed that cabin crew were routinely forced to work shifts of more than 10 hours across four domestic flight legs without proper meal breaks or rest.
The Tokyo District Court ruled that Jetstar Japan had violated Japan’s Labour Standards Act and failed in its duty to protect workers’ safety and rights, ordering an injunction to halt the illegal practices. “A ‘break’ under the command and control of the captain is not a true rest,” the court ruled.
Jetstar argued that short ground turnaround times counted as rest. The court rejected this, noting that cabin crew remain fully engaged in safety checks, cabin cleaning and passenger assistance. In separate decisions, Jetstar Japan was also found to have illegally imposed new wage contracts and unlawfully disciplined union leaders for legitimate union activity.
“This is exactly why fatigue prevention must be rooted in a just culture in aviation,” Nelson said. “Punitive management systems silence workers, discourage reporting and undermine safety. Unions play a fundamental role in keeping the aviation industry safe and moving. Unions ensure commercial pressures don’t undermine the safety and wellbeing of the workforce that powers this industry. The courts in Japan have recognised that.”
The ruling echoes findings from the ITF’s 2025 report on cabin crew fatigue, which exposed a global fatigue crisis driven by understaffing, intense turnaround pressures and weak enforcement of rest protections.
“This victory shows what collective action can achieve and why strong unions are essential to protecting workers, passengers and the safety record of airlines themselves. Airlines and regulatory bodies around the world would do well to take note,” said Nelson.
Despite being central to emergency response and passenger safety, cabin crew in Japan are still officially classified as “service personnel” rather than safety professionals.
“This case provides all the argument and recognition necessary to properly and urgently recognise cabin crew as the safety-critical professionals they are,” Nelson concluded.
