According to reports from Japanese media, a Japan Airlines flight from Dallas to Tokyo was canceled after the captain got drunk at a hotel bar and received a warning from police. The captain had dined with other crew members in Dallas before continuing to drink throughout the evening in the hotel lounge and his hotel room. At around 2 a.m. on Tuesday, a hotel employee asked the group to quiet down, leading to the pilot’s disorderly conduct and a call to the police. The police questioned the captain and cautioned him not to cause any further issues.
Due to these events, Japan Airlines was unable to find a replacement pilot in time for the Wednesday morning departure, resulting in the cancellation of the flight. Data from FlightAware shows that the flight, scheduled for 11:05 a.m. local time on Wednesday, did not take off. Japan Airlines assisted in transferring the 157 passengers who were supposed to be on board onto alternate flights.
While incidents of pilots reporting for duty under the influence are relatively rare, there have been recent cases in the industry. In March 2023, a Delta Air Lines captain admitted to flying while over the legal alcohol limit and was subsequently removed from duty by his airline. Last year, in June 2022, an American Airlines pilot showed up to work intoxicated and was given an administrative leave of absence by his airline until he completed treatment for substance abuse issues and became sober again before returning to work at American Airlines as an executive pilot later that year. These incidents raise concerns about safety standards within aviation industry and call for stricter regulations when it comes to alcohol consumption among pilots prior or during their shifts
