Japanese Airline ANA Plans to Raise Mandatory Retirement Age to 65 in FY27, in Effort to Address Labor Shortages

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:52 JST, October 1, 2025

All Nippon Airways Co. plans to raise the mandatory retirement age for its employees from 60 to 65 starting in fiscal 2027 and proposed the measure to its labor union on Tuesday.

Amid increasingly serious labor shortages, ANA aims to better utilize the expert knowledge of veteran workers and pass on their skills to younger employees.

Currently, ANA signs reemployment contracts with employees every year after they reach 60. Those employees can continue to work for the company until they turn 65 as non-regular staff.

Under the planned system, the employees will continue to be regular-contract workers. However, limitations on job roles and other matters for employees aged 60 or over will remain.

In fiscal 2024, ANA hiked non-regular employees’ salaries from 40% to about 60% the level they had as 59-year-old regular-contract workers.

By making senior employees regular-contract workers, their salary levels will be further hiked to about 70%. For pilots and mechanics, whose roles are highly skilled and require national licenses, it will be possible for the level to be about 90%.

The number of ANA employees aged from 60 to 65 is predicted to be about 1,500 in fiscal 2027. The company therefore forecasts that its labor costs will be increased by several billions of yen as a result of its plan.

Going forward, the company will hold discussions with the labor union to make the plan an official decision.