Japan's tourism ambitions set back by airport ground crew shortage

A shortage of ground crew to handle tasks from guiding passengers to aircraft cleaning and catering is hampering Japan's efforts to bring in more foreign tourists as the aviation industry continues to feel the impact of pandemic cutbacks. In late September, Narita Airport near Tokyo had requests for 152 more flights per week but could allow only 101 because of a shortage of ground handlers. Although the airport has been adjusting staffing levels, and the situation has improved somewhat, it is still in a tough position. "In many outlying areas, we fill only half our student quota," a representative from the Airport Ground Handling Association said. The group has been recruiting from vocational schools. But on one such visit recently, many students had never heard of the job -- a sign of declining interest in the aviation industry. The number of employees at 61 passenger-handling companies fell 14% between March 2019 and the autumn of 2023 to about 12,100, according to Japan's transport ministry. Ramp-handling workers, who are responsible for guiding planes and transporting baggage, declined by 5% to 11,600. Low compensation has exacerbated the shortage. Ground handlers earned an average of 3.57m yen ($23,900 at current rates) annually in fiscal 2022, ministry data shows. The ministry noted that the figure was lower than for similar industries like construction and trucking, although this is partly because half of workers in the field are in their 20s or younger. Many young people are also not keen on working at regional airports far from cities.<br/>