Japan Airlines impose tougher alcohol rules for pilots after Heathrow arrest

Japan Airlines will introduce a new breathalyser test for its pilots abroad after one was arrested for being drunk at Heathrow Airport last month. 

Katsutoshi Jitsukawa was almost ten times over the UK's legal limit for a pilot's alcohol consumption when a breathalyser test conducted in London found he had 189mg per 100ml of his blood in his system – the UK limit is 20mg. 

The pilot is just the latest from Japan Airlines to have been found intoxicated. It comes after a series of flights had been delayed to the company's pilots being intoxicated. 

In Japan, there is no legal limit to the amount of alcohol a pilot can drink, but airlines are expected to enforce limits of consumption on their pilots. 

There have been 19 cases of pilots from the airline having failed the company's alcohol test since August 2017, which caused 12 flights to be delayed and seven others to have replacement crew come in, a firm's spokesperson said.

"The company takes this violation seriously, as safety remains our utmost priority, and sincerely apologizes to all affected by the employee's actions," Japan Airlines said in a statement.

New measures from the company will see them introduce new breathalyser systems at overseas airports as well as penalties "for flight crew violating the regulated alcohol concentration level". 

They will also prohibit pilots from drinking 24 hours prior to flying and all the new procedures will be introduced globally by November 19, although they already have been at Heathrow.