Japan Airlines grounds flight after pilot's drunken behavior at hotel the night before: Report
Pilot did not violated airline's policy and was required to undergo a mental and physical assessment
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Japan Airlines canceled a flight from Dallas, Texas to Tokyo, Japan last week after the flight’s captain allegedly had a few drinks and got so loud a noise complaint was filed against him the night before he was supposed to take off, according to reports.
The Mainichi, a daily news source in Japan, reported that flight J11 from Dallas to Tokyo on April 23 was grounded after the flight’s unidentified 49-year-old captain was allegedly drinking with crew members the night before.
The publication reported that the pilot and others had dinner, then continued having drinks in the lounge, as well as in his room. But at around 2 a.m., an employee reportedly asked them to quiet down, but the pilot's demeanor and slurred speech prompted a call to police instead.
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A passenger jet from Japanese carrier Japan Airlines (JAL) takes off past another at Tokyo International Airport at Haneda on February 2, 2023. (Photo by RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images) / Getty Images)
Although the pilot had a few drinks the night before, he did not violate the airline’s policy against drinking within 12 hours of takeoff.
The airline told the publication they needed to "assess the captain’s physical and mental well-being" before he could pilot a plane.
"It is true that the captain consumed alcohol," a spokesperson for the airline told Mainichi, noting "there was a sufficient interval between alcohol consumption and the scheduled duty time."
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A hotel employee asked a Japan Airlines pilot and others who were drinking in the lounge to be quiet around 2 a.m., though the pilot's demeanor and reported slurred speech resulted in a call to police. (iStock)
The airline also said they were unable to find a replacement pilot before the scheduled departure.
"We sincerely apologize to the customers who were involved in this flight cancelation," the airline wrote in a statement. "In order to prevent such an incident from happening again, we will thoroughly implement measures to prevent recurrence and work to restore trust in our airline."
Japan Airlines did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital on the matter.
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The passengers scheduled to fly on Flight JL11 were reportedly transferred to an American Airlines flight to Tokyo instead.