Jakarta – Passengers of Japan Airlines (JAL) were disappointed by two of their captains. They were forced to delay because the pilot failed the alcohol test.
Quoted from Independent UK, flight JL774 was scheduled to fly from Melbourne, Australia to Tokyo on December 1st at 07:20 local time. However, the plane only departed at 10:31 local time.
Japan Airlines confirmed to Aviation A2Z that the delay was caused by two male captains, referred to as Captain A and Captain B, who had alcohol levels exceeding the company’s set limit.
Both pilots conducted a self-breath test at their hotel around 5 a.m. local time and found their alcohol levels exceeded the limit. Captain A initially requested a shift delay due to illness, while Captain B headed to the airport, according to the outlet.
Additional airport testing confirmed that Captain B had a high alcohol level, requiring several tests before a safe result was obtained at 8:15 AM. After undergoing retesting at the hotel, Captain A also eventually exceeded the alcohol limit and arrived at the airport around 6 AM.
The flight eventually departed from Melbourne three hours and 11 minutes behind schedule. They arrived in Tokyo at 5:57 PM local time.
The Boeing 787-8 aircraft was carrying 103 passengers, with 11 crew members, including two captains, one co-pilot, and eight flight attendants.
Japan Airlines told The Independent that the flight “was not operated with crew members under the influence of alcohol.”
“Pre-flight alcohol tests confirmed readings of 0.00 mg/l (milligrams per liter). However, the flight was delayed because two scheduled crew members were found to have alcohol in their system during pre-flight checks at their hotel,”
Subsequent tests confirmed an alcohol level of 0.00 mg/l, and the flight eventually departed. The departure was delayed for 3 hours and 11 minutes, including other preparations.
“We take this incident very seriously and deeply regret that it occurred despite a stern warning.” We will take comprehensive measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents,” the airline added.
After an internal investigation on December 3, both Captain A and B were found to have violated the company’s alcohol regulations, according to the publication report.
The pilot was reported to have consumed two glasses of sparkling wine and two bottles of wine between 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM on November 30, the day before the flight was scheduled to take off.
Japan Airlines has internal guidelines that prohibit drinking within 12 hours before boarding a flight, and in 2018, introduced a new breathalyser system at overseas airports to test its pilots.
Japan Airlines reported the incident to the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
JAL Flight Delayed for 3 Hours, Waiting for Two Pilots to Pass Alcohol Test
