JAL CEO takes 30% pay cut after cabin crew alcohol violation delays flight

Japan Airlines President and CEO Mitsuko Tottori will take a 30% pay cut for two months following a cabin crew alcohol violation that delayed a domestic flight and triggered an inspection by Japan’s transport ministry.

Chairperson Yuji Akasaka will also receive a 30% salary reduction for the same period and will be removed from his post as safety controller. Three other executives in flight operations and safety management have also received disciplinary action.

What happened

Flight JL252, scheduled to depart Hiroshima Airport (HIJ) for Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) at 07:40 local time on May 23, 2026, was delayed by 42 minutes after a female cabin attendant tested positive for alcohol.

The attendant had been drinking with a colleague at a hotel lounge the night before, violating JAL’s policy that prohibits alcohol consumption within 12 hours of duty. She tested positive during a self-check but did not report the result. A second test at the airport confirmed the violation.

JAL barred her from boarding and deployed replacement staff. A total of 186 passengers were affected. The colleague she had been drinking with reported that she was unwell and could not board the flight. Both had been scheduled to work the service, with one serving as chief attendant.

Japan’s transport ministry conducted on-site inspections of JAL on May 28, 2026. In response, the airline implemented an immediate ban on cabin crew drinking during layovers before return flights.

A pattern of incidents

This is not the first time JAL executives have faced consequences over crew alcohol violations.

In August 2025, a male captain on an international flight drank excessively before his return service, prompting a formal warning from the transport ministry.

In December 2024, two pilots tested above the alcohol limit ahead of Flight JL774 from Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Narita International Airport (NRT), delaying the service by more than three hours.

In 2018, a pilot was jailed after showing up for a flight from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Tokyo with excessive alcohol in his system. Several JAL managers at the time, including Akasaka, took pay cuts of up to 20% for three months.

Tottori, who began her career at JAL as a flight attendant, became the airline’s first female president and CEO in April 2024.

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