Japan Airlines concluded it had made an "incorrect" interpretation of its manual when a copilot was arrested in Britain for exceeding the alcohol limit, thus allowing only two captains to cover the flight to Japan even though it was supposed to be operated by three, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
The finding has prompted the airline to decide it will revise its operational and other rules in January so that the number of pilots on duty, which is set in advance, won't be changed.
According to JAL, the flight from London to Tokyo's Haneda Airport that the arrested copilot had been scheduled to operate last month should be handled by three pilots, so that there can always be two at the controls and they can take turns to have a rest during the 12-hour-long trip.
However, when British police took the copilot into custody, JAL decided that the flight could be operated just by the remaining two captains, who ultimately remained seated in the cockpit for 12 hours without a break.
However, JAL's manual does not anticipate a change in the number of pilots on duty, making the airline conclude that it made an incorrect decision that the flight could be handled by two.
Meanwhile, it has also been found that the copilot had used a mouthwash when he was with his colleagues before his arrest. The airline believes that this action contributed to the two captains being unaware that he had drunk excessively.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
