Japan Airlines apologises after pilot’s drinking violation delays three flights

Flight delays leave nearly 630 passengers stranded for 18 hours

Japan Airlines apologised after taking a pilot off duty for drinking alcohol before an international flight, causing lengthy delays for hundreds of passengers.

The pilot was scheduled to fly from Honolulu, US, to the Chubu Centrair airport in central Japan on 28 August, but called in sick on the day of departure and later admitted to drinking in his hotel before the flight, Japanese broadcaster FNN reported.

As a result, the Honolulu-Nagoya service and two other Japan-bound flights were delayed for about 18 hours while a replacement pilot was found.

Around 630 passengers were affected, according to Kyodo News.

The pilot was subsequently relieved from duty, Mainichi reported.

On Wednesday, the Japanese transport ministry carried out a surprise inspection at the airline’s Tokyo headquarters but officials did not publicly comment on the findings.

A Japan Airlines plane lands as people visit a market in Taipei on 20 March 2025 (AFP via Getty)

“We sincerely apologise to our customers and all parties involved for the inconvenience and trouble caused,” the airline in a statement. “We take this matter very seriously, especially considering that it occurred while we were already under administrative guidance due to multiple safety incidents, including alcohol-related cases, and were working to prevent recurrence.”

The incident is the latest in a series of alcohol-related breaches involving Japan Airlines crew.

In December 2024, the ministry issued the carrier with a business improvement notice following cases in which pilots were found to have consumed alcohol within 12 hours of duty, breaching internal rules.

The airline said at the time that though “the flight departed after confirming that the cockpit crew's blood alcohol level was 0.00mg/l, it was noted that the crew had consumed alcohol exceeding the limit set for 12 hours before the start of flight duty, and inappropriate behaviour by the crew was observed.”

The company later pledged improved procedures, including tighter alcohol testing and awareness training “to prevent recurrence”.

In February this year, Japan Airlines stripped chairman Yuji Akasaka of his role overseeing safety measures and cut his pay as well as that of the chief executive, Mitsuko Tottori, by 30 per cent for two months. It also demoted other executives as part of the disciplinary action. Mr Akasaka had similarly received a pay cut in 2018 after a separate alcohol-related scandal.