Japan Airlines has received a formal warning from the Japanese transport ministry after a pilot was unable to operate a scheduled flight due to alcohol consumption, causing delays to three flights.
The incident occurred on August 28 in Hawaii, where the pilot drank excessively and was deemed unfit to fly the following day. One of the affected flights was delayed by up to 18 hours.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism summoned JAL’s chief safety officer, Yukio Nakagawa, on September 10 to issue the airline a second written reprimand within a year. The same day, JAL President Mitsuko Tottori held a press conference to apologise and pledged stricter enforcement of alcohol and health checks for flight crew.
Repeat Offense Raises Safety Concerns
The August incident marks the second alcohol-related violation by JAL in under a year. In December 2024, two pilots attempted to conceal their alcohol consumption before a flight from Melbourne to Narita, resulting in a three-hour delay and prompting the airline to ban all alcohol use during overnight layovers. The transport ministry also issued a warning following that case.
“We take this situation extremely seriously, as this happened despite measures put in place last December,” said Mitsuko Tottori, President of Japan Airlines. She added that the company would further strengthen its monitoring of employee alcohol use and general health.
Government Criticism and Industry Scrutiny
Japanese Transport Minister Hiromasa Nakano expressed frustration over the repeated incidents, saying, “The fact that this kind of incident has occurred repeatedly is… because (the firm has failed to) thoroughly educate each and every employee about safety issues.” He called the situation “extremely regrettable.”
During the formal reprimand, Nakagawa bowed in front of journalists as he received the ministry’s warning. The gesture reflected the seriousness with which the issue is being treated both publicly and internally within the airline.
Ongoing Efforts to Restore Public Trust
Japan Airlines has a history of alcohol-related misconduct. In 2018, one of its pilots was arrested in the United Kingdom shortly before a scheduled flight after being found to have a blood alcohol level nearly 10 times the legal limit. The incident drew widespread media attention and sparked reforms in crew alcohol policies.
The recent violations may prompt further regulatory action or policy changes, as the government evaluates the airline’s commitment to ensuring flight safety. JAL has reiterated its intention to improve internal training and compliance as it seeks to restore public confidence in its operations.
AloJapan.com