Japan Airlines faces government pressure over series of safety incidents – AeroTime

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Japan Airlines (JAL) is under pressure from the Japanese government following a series of safety incidents that began in November 2023.

According to the Japan Times, Japan Airlines President Mitsuko Tottori was summoned to the Ministry of Transport on May 27, 2025, for serious discussions about the airline’s recent safety record.

The situation is believed to be related to five incidents, including Japan Airlines Flight 516 on January 2, 2024, in which a JAL Airbus A350-900 collided with a coast guard aircraft shortly after landing at Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND).

While the Coast Guard pilot managed to escape from the Dash 8, tragically all five other people on board were killed.

Most recently, on May 23, 2024, two JAL aircraft crashed their wings at HND, and on May 10, 2024, a Japan Airlines jet mistakenly entered the runway at Fukuoka Airport (FUK).

Japan Airlines has until June 11, 2024 to submit plans to the Ministry of Transport to remedy the situation.

Officials from the Ministry of Transport visited Japan Airlines’ offices on May 24, 2024 to conduct an inspection.

“It cannot be said that the safety management system works effectively throughout the company,” said Shigenori Hiraoka, director general of the ministry’s civil aviation bureau.

Mitsuko Tottori apologized for the incidents and said: “The biggest problem is that despite previous incidents, similar incidents have continued to occur. We want to take responsibility and take corrective measures.”