Overview
- Japan Airlines disclosed that the 64-year-old captain altered date settings on his alcohol-testing device on multiple occasions to conceal positive results.
- Before calling in sick in Honolulu, the pilot tested himself about 60 times with readings showing the presence of alcohol, according to the company.
- The Aug. 28 Honolulu–Nagoya duty removal forced crew reshuffles that left two Tokyo-bound services roughly 18 hours late, affecting around 630 passengers.
- Japan’s transport ministry visited JAL’s Tokyo headquarters on Sept. 3 and opened an investigation into the episode under existing oversight.
- JAL apologized and pledged tougher monitoring and testing, noting the pilot had been flagged seven years earlier; the carrier remains under a business improvement order and earlier cut top executives’ pay while stripping the chairman of safety oversight.