• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats

2

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?

3

Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026

1

eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats

2

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?

3

Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026
Air Travel

How Japan Airlines Plans to Solve Its Drunk Pilot Problem

By
David Meyer
David Meyer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
David Meyer
David Meyer
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 16, 2018, 7:08 AM ET
JAPAN-AVIATION-JAL-COMPANY-EARNINGS
Japan Airlines (JAL) is working with the Japanese government to fix the problem of drunk pilotsTOSHIFUMI KITAMURA AFP/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Japanese air carriers have an issue with drunk pilots, but they and the Japanese government are moving to fix it.

Last month, a Japan Airlines pilot was arrested at London’s Heathrow airport for showing up to work with around nine times the legal alcohol limit in his bloodstream — that’s based on the U.K.’s legal limit of 20 milligrams per 100 mililiters; incredibly, Japan does not mandate alcohol consumption limits for its pilots.

On Friday, Japan Airlines submitted a report to the Japanese transport ministry, noting that the co-pilot in question — Katsutoshi Jitsukawa — had taken but cheated an in-house breathalyzer test before airport authorities nabbed him with their own test.

Japan Airlines’ breathalyzer had no tubes to blow into, according to local reports, and the flight’s chief pilots didn’t watch him breathing into the device as they should have.

As a result, the carrier said it will install more advanced breathalyzers around the world by Monday. The company’s president, Yuji Akasaka, is also cutting his own pay by 20% to demonstrate management responsibility.

According to the BBC, Japan Airlines has had 19 incidents since August last year in which pilots failed the carrier’s own alcohol tests, with 12 flights being delayed as a result (other pilots were found for the other seven).

Yet Japan Airlines isn’t the only carrier in the country to have pilots with drink issues. A pilot with All Nippon Airways (ANA) caused delays to five flights in late October when he drank so much he became sick. The airline fired him.

The Japanese government is now moving to strengthen its own controls, by making breathalyzer tests mandatory and looking to other countries for examples of what proper pilot-alcohol rules should look like.

Japan currently bans pilots from drinking in the eight hours before they fly — the same as in the U.S. The U.S., however, also sets a bloodstream alcohol limit for pilots that is half the threshold for drivers. India, meanwhile, has zero tolerance for any alcohol in the bloodstream of pilots.

Japan Airlines had a 12-hour no-drinking rule in place, but has now provisionally extended that to 24 hours.

About the Author
By David Meyer
LinkedIn icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in

Millionaires are leaving the U.K. in droves thanks to tax hikes—but the CEO of $1 billion tax platform says it’s their ‘social responsibility’ to stay
SuccessWealth
Millionaires are leaving the U.K. in droves thanks to tax hikes—but the CEO of $1 billion tax platform says it’s their ‘social responsibility’ to stay
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 29, 2026
1 hour ago
Costco’s $14 million email settlement: Who qualifies for an up-to $500 payment and how to claim before the Aug. 24 deadline
RetailCostco
Costco’s $14 million email settlement: Who qualifies for an up-to $500 payment and how to claim before the Aug. 24 deadline
By Sydney LakeJuly 29, 2026
2 hours ago
obama
PoliticsElections
Obama got ‘whooped’ by a Paralympian on the basketball court — now he wants Iowa to send him to the Senate
By Hannah Fingerhut and The Associated PressJuly 29, 2026
2 hours ago
eeoc
LawEEOC
EEOC has indefinitely suspended all federal-sector class complaints, lawsuit claims
By Alexandra Olson and The Associated PressJuly 29, 2026
2 hours ago
Foreign buyers seem to be following Zohran Mamdani’s cue — and fleeing American real estate
EconomyWealth
Foreign buyers seem to be following Zohran Mamdani’s cue — and fleeing American real estate
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 29, 2026
2 hours ago
Exclusive: Rent the Runway founder Jenn Hyman is taking over IPO-bound Babylist as it nears $1 billion in revenue
Most Powerful Women
Exclusive: Rent the Runway founder Jenn Hyman is taking over IPO-bound Babylist as it nears $1 billion in revenue
By Emma HinchliffeJuly 29, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats
Law
eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats
By The Associated Press and Leah WillinghamJuly 28, 2026
19 hours ago
Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
C-Suite
Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 27, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 28, 2026
1 day ago
The brutal math behind Gen Z's lonely weekends: $15 drinks are driving a generational 'spending hangover'
Economy
The brutal math behind Gen Z's lonely weekends: $15 drinks are driving a generational 'spending hangover'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 28, 2026
1 day ago
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
Real Estate
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 25, 2026
4 days ago
Current price of gold as of July 28, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of July 28, 2026
By Danny BakstJuly 28, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.