TOKYO, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Japan Airlines Co. and All Nippon Airways Co., following recent instances of their flight crew being inebriated, announced Friday they will implement stricter alcohol tests for their pilots.
Following JAL co-pilot Katsutoshi Jitsukawa being arrested by British police after a drinking session the night before a London-Tokyo flight on Oct. 28, which left him 10 times over the legal limit under British aviation law, JAL has provisionally banned its pilots from drinking within 24 hours of a flight.
JAL's previous rules had banned pilots and copilots from drinking with 12 hours of a flight, but following the scandal, which led to a court hearing for Jitsukawa in Britain in which he pleaded guilty, Japan's flagship carrier said the 24-hour no drinking rule will stay in place until a permanent rule is agreed upon.
The new rule on drinking may also be applied to other employees, including JAL's ground staff, the carrier said.
JAL, in a report submitted to the government, also said it will upgrade its breathalyzer equipment at airports overseas this month and punish pilots who fail the tests.
JAL previously said its pilot, who was arrested in London, had cheated the pre-flight alcohol test. It also said that one of the two accompanying captains on the flight had failed to monitor the breath test properly.
"We feel deeply responsible for allowing an incident that should never happen," JAL President Yuji Akasaka was quoted as telling a news conference Friday.
Akasaka said that to show his managerial responsibility he will cut his executive salary by 20 percent.
ANA has also come under fire recently, following one of its pilots being unable to fly due to becoming sick after a drinking session in Okinawa.
Delays were caused to five flights on Oct. 25, due to the pilot being unable to fly after drinking, and as a result the pilot resigned as per his company's instructions.
Along with setting more accurate guidelines on alcohol consumption, ANA said it will introduce new and more accurate breathalyzers.
ANA also said that portable breathalyzers will also be distributed to all of its flight crew.
"It is important to make preventive measures work effectively," ANA President Yuji Hirako, for his part, was quoted as saying Friday at a separate news conference.
