On May 27, 2024, Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) issued a “strict warning” to JAL for a series of incidents the airline has been involved in over the last six months. The warning calls for the airline to report to the ministry with measures to prevent similar accidents by June 11, 2024.
The warning, a document that was handed to JAL’s recently appointed President Mitsuko Tottori by the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau’s Director-General Shigenori Hiraoka, starts by highlighting the January 2, 2024, Haneda Airport runway collision, which is currently under investigation. It continues by saying JAL “has been experiencing a series of safety incidents including runway incursions,” meaning that “it cannot be said that your company’s safety management system is functioning effectively.”
In the warning, MLIT explains JAL’s incidents’ repercussions on the wider industry. “Furthermore, these issues could have a significant impact on the public’s trust in the safety of air transportation.”
The document ends with a request for JAL to inspect and make corrections to its safety management system and to have its top management work on reinstating a culture of safety. It asks the airline to submit a report by June 11, 2024.
Incidents highlighted in the warning in addition to the January 2, 2024, accident include:
- November 11, 2023: Unauthorized runway crossing at Seattle Airport
- February 6, 2024: Runway incursion at San Diego Airport
- April 22, 2024: Captain’s unruly behavior in Dallas leading to a flight cancelation
- May 10, 2024: Unauthorized crossing of stop bars at Fukuoka Airport
- May 23, 2024: Ground collision of two JAL A350s at Haneda Airport
