Japan Airlines (JAL) said that it will suspend high-risk pilots if their liver functions deteriorate beyond certain levels, as the troubled carrier announced stricter safety measures after international flights were delayed due to a drinking incident involving a pilot.
The airline submitted a set of measures to prevent a repeat of the latest incident in August, in which the pilot drank alcohol and was unable to operate a flight from Hawaii to Japan.
The lapse prompted the Trans-port Ministry to reprimand the airline and require it to report on safety steps to avoid a recurrence.
Six pilots have already been suspended from flying.
A series of drinking incidents involving pilots have hit JAL, and the most recent one came despite its efforts to root out such cases.
While acknowledging that its measures so far against preflight drinking by pilots have not been effective, the airline admitted fault for having unilaterally imposed stricter rules on its employees without proper consultation.
In its report released on Sept 30, JAL said it will set up a consultative framework with its staff to discuss how best to implement effective measures. The management team initially sought to require pilots to pledge in writing that they will steer clear of alcohol-related trouble. But the plan met internal opposition, according to people familiar with the situation.
A JAL pilot consumed three pints of beer – 568ml each – the day before his flight on Aug 28 from Honolulu to Chubu airport near Nagoya. On the day of his flight, his testing kit showed alcohol presence 60 times in succession. He notified the company that he was feeling unwell, admitting that he had drank the day before.
The flight he was supposed to operate had to be delayed for about two hours, while two other flights bound for Tokyo’s Haneda airport from Honolulu were also delayed by 18 hours. He was later fired. — Kyodo News/ANN
