Despite a drinking ban, the 64-year-old captain tampered with date settings on his testing kit multiple times
A Japan Airlines employee who admitted to drinking alcohol in Hawaii before his scheduled piloting duty last month, causing delays as the airline found a replacement, had on multiple occasions tampered with his testing kit to avoid detection under similar circumstances, the operator said on Thursday.
The 64-year-old captain had been flagged by the airline as someone who needed close monitoring after he was found with a below-threshold level of alcohol seven years ago. He had vowed to quit drinking, according to JAL.
The airline said the pilot, who flew international routes, had altered the date settings on his alcohol testing kit during the latest instance and on previous occasions after consuming alcohol before piloting flights back to Japan.
In December, JAL banned its pilots from drinking during their stays before return flights, following a spate of alcohol-related problems involving the carrier’s employees.
