Japan Airlines had to cancel one of its flights from Dallas to Tokyo this week after one of the pilots had a little too much to drink during the layover in DFW, leaving him over the legal alcohol limit to operate flights.
As the Japan Times reported yesterday, the pilot first partied with other crewmembers in a restaurant and then continued at the hotel, which resulted in a noise complaint and even some kind of police interaction.
Subsequently the airline made the decision to cancel the flight and transfer the affected passengers to other flights such as the American Airlines connection ex DFW which is thankfully available (though probably not for the entire plane load of passengers at once).
According to the Japan Times reporting, hotel staff, as well as law enforcement, got involved following the captain’s rowdy behavior.
Japan Airlines canceled a flight last week from Dallas to Tokyo after its captain got drunk at a hotel in the U.S. city and was warned by local police.
The flight was scheduled to depart at 11:05 a.m. Wednesday with 157 passengers. Many of the passengers were transferred to an American Airlines flight.
According to JAL, the 49-year-old male captain arrived in Dallas on Monday morning.
He drank alcohol with other crew members at a restaurant from around 6 p.m. on the same day and continued drinking after returning to the hotel.
The hotel warned him about the noise, and he stopped drinking. But the hotel called police at around 2 a.m. Tuesday due to his shouting.
The captain did not violate JAL’s regulations against drinking alcohol within 12 hours of boarding. But the company decided to cancel the flight because it had to check the physical and mental conditions of the captain and needed time to arrange a replacement.
The captain was quoted as saying that he did not notice he was drunk.
In a statement, JAL apologized for the inconvenience caused by the crew member’s inappropriate behavior.
This is, of course, highly costly and embarrassing for Japan Airlines. The plane and its entire crew will have to sit in Dallas for nothing and then fly back to Tokyo empty unless JAL decides to cancel the incoming flight as well and rebook passengers again to American and other airlines.
I’m not sure that a rule to not drink alcohol within 12 hours of boarding is sufficient and sensible for flight crew because what does that really mean? You can get completely wasted up until 12 hours prior to your flight, and then hop on to fly?
Anyone who has ever had even a slight hangover knows that this isn’t a great idea and everyone reacts differently to alcohol. Was a breathalyzer test administered to this particular crew?
From the reporting, it’s quite obvious that the layover wasn’t some harmless drink at the bar but quite a rowdy affair that went on at that layover hotel. I’m sure there is more to it than just one crewmember having a drink too many, and the company should really get to the bottom of this (pretty sure they will, considering the consequences this episode had).
We have previously reported similar incidents with other airlines, such as an Air India pilot who got drunk before a flight from Phuket to Delhi:
FIRED: Drunk Air India Pilot Operates Phuket-Delhi Flight & Fails Breathalyzer Upon Arrival
And who can forget the drug and alcohol-laden layover of a British Airways pilot in South Africa:
To Fly, To Snort: British Airways Pilot Fired After Alcohol & Drug Fueled Party In Johannesburg
Airlines have been way too lenient and generous with affording crews the luxury of freestyle layovers that include drinking and partying based on an honor system. This goes for both cockpit and cabin crew. The layover is designed for the crew to rest and not go on a bender in the well-known nightlife areas of the world or get wasted at the hotel.
There are destinations that are notorious for crew to have one too many and be out and about all night prior to their flights (Bangkok being one of them), and maybe it’s time for airlines to pull the screws a bit tighter and have station management inspect the crew, including a breathalyzer before every flight.
Maybe getting used to some non-alcoholic beverages would be a great idea for these crewmembers.
I like a drink every now and then but can’t figure out for the love of it why some people are so addicted to alcohol that they can’t even go a couple of days (or even one flight) without drinking adult beverages.
Conclusion
Japan Airlines was forced to cancel a flight from Dallas to Tokyo after the captain of the flight caused a noise disturbance at the hotel, resulting from an alcohol-fueled night out in town. The company subsequently decided that canceling the flight was the best course of action, and the crew member now had to undergo a medical evaluation by the company.
I wouldn’t have expected such unprofessional behavior from a pilot of Japan Airlines, even though many Japanese love their alcohol and drink quite a bit in excess at times.
Do you think airlines should start to implement stricter rules for pilots and cabin crew during layovers, including a total ban on alcoholic beverages?
Sebastian Powell