On Tuesday, a Japan Airlines flight from Dallas to Tokyo was canceled due to the actions of the captain, who was reportedly intoxicated after drinking heavily at a hotel bar. According to The Mainichi, the captain had dined with other crew members in Dallas and continued drinking throughout the evening in the hotel lounge and his room. At around 2 a.m., the pilot’s disorderly conduct prompted a call to the police from a hotel employee. The police warned the captain not to cause any further problems.
Japan Airlines made the decision to cancel the flight in order to assess the captain’s physical and mental well-being. Despite efforts to find a replacement pilot, the airline was unable to do so in time for the Wednesday morning departure. FlightAware data showed that the flight was canceled, and Japan Airlines helped transfer the 157 passengers to alternative flights. While rare, there have been recent incidents of pilots reporting for duty under the influence, such as a Delta Air Lines captain in March and a United Airlines pilot in 2023.
In these instances, pilots faced legal consequences for turning up to work while under the influence. The Federal Aviation Administration states that a pilot’s ability to fly a plane is significantly impaired by alcohol use, with serious errors increasing at or above concentrations of 0.04% blood alcohol. Japan Airlines did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider on this matter.
