Japan Airlines is penalizing several executives, including the top echelons represented by the Chairman and the CEO of the company, for several incidents in recent times that involved drunk pilots.
Some of these situations resulted in flight cancellations, substantial delays and reputational damage for the company, which is now resulting in consequences for the executives, taking the ultimate fall for the misconduct of their employees.
To a Western spectator, this might seem surreal, both the CEO and the Chairman of a company taking responsibility and being penalized for their subordinates’ egregious conduct, but in Japan, this is not uncommon.
According to the Japan Times, both top executives will have their pay docked by 30% for a two-month period as a penalty for their inability to maintain discipline in the company.
Two of Japan Airlines’ most senior executives will have their pay docked following another incident of pilots drinking inappropriately.
JAL Chief Executive Officer Mitsuko Tottori and Chairman Yuji Akasaka will be subject to a 30% pay cut for two months over an incident involving two pilots who were found to be over the limit in the hours ahead of their scheduled flight.
Akasaka will also have his role overseeing safety measures at the airline revoked.
Three other managers from JAL’s flight operations and safety management divisions have also been given “urgent consideration” for disciplinary action, a JAL spokesperson said Friday.
The punishments stem from an incident last month when two male captains who had been out drinking the day before caused a flight from Melbourne to Tokyo to be delayed by around three hours after alcohol was found in their system during a preflight check at their hotel the next morning. JAL’s policy prohibits the consumption of alcohol within 12 hours of boarding.
It isn’t the first time JAL has been involved in situations where its pilots have failed alcohol breathalyzer tests.
Some managers took pay cuts of up to 20% for a three-month period in 2018 after a pilot showed up for a London-to-Tokyo flight with excessive alcohol in his system. He was subsequently jailed. One of the top managers involved at the time was Akasaka.
More recently, in April 2024, JAL canceled a flight from Dallas to Tokyo after the pilot was found to be drunk and disorderly.
While this is the official punishment for top management, I’m sure there will be additional fallout for the lower ranks as well, all the way down to the pilots themselves. I’d be surprised if they ever fly again on an international route or are being rostered at all.
As the article mentions, there have also been criminal prosecutions of pilots in the past (2018) for drunk pilots.
We have reported about both incidents mentioned in the article, here is the one from last month that triggered the disciplinary action:
Japan Airlines Pilots Exceed Alcohol Limits, Delaying Melbourne Flight By Three Hours
And the infamous Dallas stunt where pilots and cabin crew partied out and were reported by the crew hotel:
Japan Airlines Cancels Dallas-Tokyo Flight After Captain Gets Drunk During Layover
The airline has since reinstated a no-alcohol policy for all crews during the entire layover, a rule that was just rescinded a month prior after the 6-month penalty for all crews following the Dallas incident expired.
I don’t understand why it is so difficult for Japanese crews to keep their hands off alcohol or to limit themselves to a reasonable amount (one drink) while being on a layover. Yes, Japan has a popular drinking culture, but if the consumption of alcohol is a problem for someone, then pilot or even cabin crew isn’t the right job.
Conclusion
Japan Airlines’ top executives are now feeling the (financial) pain as fallout from several drunk pilot incidents made headlines and cost the company dearly in reputation.
JAL was forced to apologize to passengers of the affected flights who incurred substantial delays and, in one case (Dallas), had to be rebooked to other flights after theirs was canceled entirely as pilots were unfit to fly. They went on a bender in Dallas together with the cabin crew and got so drunk that the crew hotel reported them.
As a penalty for the situation, both the CEO of JAL and the Chairman of the Board will receive a two-month 30% pay cut. The chairman will also see his scope of responsibilities reduced.
While this is definitely not a positive story by any means, at least it’s nice to see executives penalized for their employees’ bad actions and the company’s mediocre, embarrassing performance. Maybe other airlines, such as American Airlines, Air Canada, British Airways, and Lufthansa, should take note and dock their CEOs’ salaries as well.
