On August 28, 2025 (actual place), the flight crew member(captain) of JL793 [from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (Honolulu) to Chubu Centrair International Airport (Nagoya)], the captain conducted a voluntary test (which is conducted before the formal alcohol inspection process) and alcohol was detected. Then, the captain voluntarily reported to the company the fact of consuming alcohol the previous day.

Since we prohibit our cockpit crew from consuming alcohol in the places where they stay, we decided to suspend the captain in question as a violation of our company policy, but it took time to secure a replacement captain, and a total of three flights, including the flight in question and the following flight, were delayed.

We sincerely apologize to our customers and everyone concerned for the inconvenience caused.

The following are the details of this Case
 

[Flight Information] *All local time

-Date and time of occurrence: Thursday, August 28, 2025 (actual place)
-Flight Number :JL793
-Sector:Departure from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (Honolulu), 
             Arrival at Chubu Centrair International Airport (Nagoya)
-Schedule:Departure: August 28, 14:20   
                  Arrival: August 29,17:30 
-Type: Boeing 787-9 (aircraft number: JA874J)
-Crew : 2 pilots and 10 cabin attendants
-Total passengers ::239 (including 2 infants)

[Outline]
-In violation of our company's policy prohibiting the consumption of alcohol during the stay, the captain consumed three bottles of beer (9.5% by volume, 568 ml) alone in his hotel room around noon on the day before the departure date.
-The next day, prior to departure from the hotel, the captain voluntarily reported to us that he had consumed alcohol on the previous day, as alcohol was detected in a voluntary test.
-Upon receiving the report and considering the fact that the captain had violated the alcohol prohibition, we were determined that the captain was unfit for duty.
-Securing a replacement took time, resulting in delays for a total of three flights, including the affected flight and subsequent ones, causing significant inconvenience to many customers.
-From the subsequent investigation it is determined that the captain had exceeded the alcohol limit(*) established in the operational regulations. Moreover, it has been discovered that the captain had consumed alcohol on multiple occasions in the past while staying at the place of stay.
-It has been discovered that the captain in question had previously consumed alcohol on multiple occasions at his lodgings(**) and had altered the date and time on the alcohol test device for a voluntary test in order to conceal this fact.
 (*) Limit the amount of alcohol remaining in the body to the equivalent of 4 drinks or less, at 12 hours before the start of flight duty.
 (**)No alcohol was detected in any of the formal alcohol inspection for the flights, as required by the company.

 

This case was promptly reported to the Aviation Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and was audited by the Civil Aviation Bureau on September 3.

We take very seriously the fact that this time, in addition to violating the Operations Manual (OM), the captain violated one of the immediate measures taken in response to the Melbourne case last December, which was to abstain from alcohol at the destination, thereby breaking a promise to society.

 

We will continue to move swiftly to further strengthen measures to prevent recurrence.

September 4, 2025
Japan Airlines