Japanske flygeres drikkekultur - Curt Lewis

JAL captain had proxy pilot take breath alcohol test for him


A Japan Airlines Co. captain had another pilot take the mandatory breathalyzer test for him before an overseas flight because he feared his heavy drinking the night before would be found out.

The misdeed surfaced after the second pilot reported the false test to company officials upon the return of the Narita-to-Chicago flight, which departed Narita Airport on Dec. 2, 2017, the company said on Jan. 9.

JAL took disciplinary action against both pilots in February last year, but failed to disclose the matter to the public and didn't report it to the government at that time.

JAL said the 59-year-old captain tested himself with a spare breathalyzer at around 8:50 a.m., about two hours before the flight.

The device detected 0.09 milligram of alcohol per 1 liter of breath, which is nearly the 0.10 milligram limit set by the airline.

The captain, seized with anxiety, begged the 53-year-old pilot, who would share the flying duties with him, to take the pre-flight breathalyzer test for him, according to JAL.

JAL prohibits its cabin crew members from drinking alcohol for 12 hours before boarding and until the end of a flight.

The pilot in question told the company that he consumed three 350-milliliter cans of shochu-based "chuhai" up to about 14 hours before the flight.

The latest report comes amid a flurry of alcohol-related incidents involving pilots of Japanese airlines, following the firing of a JAL co-pilot who was arrested in England in October for being drunk before an international flight.

The transport ministry has set new guidelines that will take effect by the end of March, which will prohibit pilots of domestic airlines from flying with even a trace of alcohol in their systems.

Pilot grounded, flights delayed as he turns up drunk at work

The test showed the pilot had consumed higher-than-permissible levels of alcohol.

Five flights were cancelled last week after a pilot of All Nippon Airways (ANA) Co. scheduled to fly from Osaka to Miyazaki failed a mandatory breathalyzer test, causing major chaos. The airline said on Tuesday that one of its pilots consumed alcohol before flight duties despite the 12-hour ban and also asked a co-pilot to lie about it.

According to reports in The Japan Times, the two pilots were scheduled to fly at 7:10 am on Thursday last week, but one pilot drank beer and other alcoholic beverages at an Osaka restaurant until around 9:30 pm the day before, stated the airline. The co-pilot stopped drinking around 7:00 pm but stayed at the restaurant with the pilot, according to ANA. However, the two pilots initially said during the airline's probe that they only drank until around 7:00 pm the day before.

But the test showed the pilot had higher-than-permissible level of alcohol and had to be replaced. This caused delays to five flights and affected a total of 677 passengers.

The country's Transport and Tourism Minister Keiichi Ishii last year announced a crackdown on flight and cabin crews drinking on the job. It move came after a Japan Airlines pilot was arrested after his test result findings showed he was nearly 10 times the legal limit prior to take off at London Heathrow Airport.

Ishii said at the time during a press conference: "We will use all possible means to ensure flight safety," reported Express.co.uk.