TOKYO: (Bernama-Kyodo) Japan Airlines Co. said Wednesday (May 27) a flight from Hiroshima to Tokyo's Haneda airport over the weekend was delayed about 40 minutes after the airline replaced a cabin attendant who tested positive for alcohol, Kyodo News reported.
The aircraft was scheduled to depart Hiroshima Airport at 7.40am Saturday carrying 186 passengers but was delayed until 8.22am, the company said.
The cabin attendant had gone out with a colleague the previous evening and consumed an amount of alcohol exceeding company regulations, it said.
The colleague, who was also scheduled to work on the same flight, was removed from duty after notifying the company in advance.
The incident follows a spate of alcohol-related scandals involving the airline in recent years, including a case in 2024 in which a captain and co-pilot were found to have attempted to conceal excessive drinking before a flight from Melbourne, Australia, to Narita near Tokyo.
In a statement Wednesday, JAL said, "We are aware that multiple alcohol-related incidents have led to a societal distrust (in our company), and we take this matter very seriously."
"We will continue to further strengthen preventive measures," it added.
Last year, a flight bound for Japan from Honolulu was delayed for over 18 hours after alcohol was detected on the pilot, with two other flights also delayed. - Bernama-Kyodo
