Two Japan Airlines pilots have been suspended after they drank an excessive amount of alcohol the day before a flight and then proceeded to lie about it. Photo / Getty Images
Japan’s transport ministry has issued an administrative order suspending two Japan Airlines captains from flight operations for drinking about three times more alcohol than the company’s acceptable level the day before a flight and lying to the airline about it.
The Land, Infrastructure, Transport
and Tourism Ministry issued the penalties on Tuesday under the Civil Aeronautics Law, suspending the then-captain from flight operations for 180 days and the co-pilot for 210 days.
The then-captain of the airplane, 59, and his co-pilot, 56, crewed JAL Flight 774 from Melbourne to Narita which departed on the morning of December 1 with 114 passengers and crew members, according to the ministry and others.
The two pilots had been consuming alcohol until 4pm on the day before the flight, even ordering three bottles of wine. Before the flight, alcohol was detected in their systems, but the pilots failed to properly inform flights management and others of the drinking the previous night. They also conspired to lie during interviews after the flight about the amount of alcohol consumed.
Regarding the co-pilot, a problem involving drinking in 2018 was also taken into account when the ministry took administrative action against him.
