Japan Airlines has imposed a complete ban on alcohol consumption during work layovers for its more than 6,000 flight attendants after another alcohol-related incident involving a senior cabin crew member delayed a domestic flight.
The latest case took place on May 23, when a chief flight attendant scheduled to operate a morning flight from Hiroshima to Tokyo failed mandatory breathalyser checks before duty.
According to Japanese outlet Aviation Wire, the flight attendant had worked with the airline since 1992 and had recently been promoted to the senior cabin crew role. After arriving in Hiroshima on an outbound service a day earlier, she met another flight attendant at the hotel bar where the crew was staying.
The two began drinking at around 5:30 PM on May 22, shortly before the airline’s 12-hour no-alcohol restriction before duty hours came into effect. But they continued drinking beyond the deadline.
As per the report, the senior crew member consumed two beers and two small glasses of white wine, with the final drink served around 7:15 PM. The pair later returned to their rooms at approximately 9:25 PM ahead of an early morning pickup for duty.
The airline has suffered major alcohol-related controversies in the past and as a result, pilots and cabin crew members are required to undergo self-administered breathalyser tests before reporting for work. Employees are expected to record a zero-alcohol reading before they are cleared for duty.
The chief flight attendant later admitted that her self-test at around 5:45 AM showed alcohol levels of 0.23 milligrams. Despite the reading, she believed the alcohol level would drop before she reached the airport.
But a second mandatory breathalyser test conducted at the airport around 20 minutes later showed a reading of 0.11 milligrams. The airline allowed multiple retests but the same result was recorded repeatedly.
She was subsequently removed from duty for being unfit to operate the flight. The other flight attendant who had been drinking with her had already declared herself unfit to work. This left the flight short of two cabin crew members.
Though Japan Airlines arranged replacement crew members, the flight from Hiroshima to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport was still delayed by around 40 minutes.
The airline later held a press conference on May 27 where executives apologised for the incident and acknowledged the damage caused to public trust, as per Aviation Wire. Safety officials said the company would strengthen efforts to prevent similar cases.
Japan Airlines has faced several alcohol-related incidents in recent years. In August 2025, an international flight captain was also found to have consumed excessive alcohol before a scheduled return flight which prompted a warning from Japan’s transport ministry.
