Japan’s Crackdown On Drunk Pilots Uncovers Rampant Alcohol-Related Misconduct

Japan Ministry of Transport has launched an overhaul of the aviation industry’s lax alcohol testing standards after an intoxicated co-pilot attempted to board an international flight in London. The embarrassing incident not only made worldwide headlines but exposed the lack of legal frameworks regulating Japan’s aviation industry’s drinking policies.

In late October, a Japanese Airlines (JAL) co-pilot evaded detection from a preflight alcohol test prior to boarding a London-to-Tokyo flight and was later arrested for exceeding the country’s legal limit by 10 times. Katsutoshi Jitsukawa, 42, confessed to drinking two bottles of wine and 1.8 liters of beer after 6pm the night before the flight. Authorities were alerted at Heathrow airport when a bus driver transporting the crew to the plane noticed the smell of alcohol. Jitsukawa pleaded guilty in a British court and was sentenced to a 10 month jail term last week.

Under Japanese law, alcohol consumption is banned eight hours before taking duty and JAL policy specifically sets a 12 hour drinking ban before starting work. But under the current system, airlines are free to create their own internal rules and voluntarily impose alcohol breath tests. Meanwhile, no industry-wide legal blood alcohol level has been enforced and no standard alcohol consumption rules between pilots, crew members, and engineers exist.

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