Society

JAL probe finds flight attendant consumed alcohol while on duty

Dec 26 (Kyodo) - Japan Airlines Co. said Tuesday an internal probe has concluded that a female flight attendant who tested positive for alcohol last week consumed alcohol while on duty.

The cabin attendant tested positive in two breathalyzer tests conducted after a colleague noticed her breath smelt of alcohol during a Tokyo-Honolulu flight and she was removed from duty for the remainder of the flight, JAL said.

"An unserved bottle of champagne (6oz 170g) for Premium Economy was found empty in the galley area," JAL said in a release, citing that fact as one basis for the conclusion.

The probe also revealed a total of three crew members smelt alcohol on her breath and four reported unusual behavior, while a similar report about her smelling of alcohol was made in November last year.

No alcohol was detected in a pre-flight breathalyzer test but two tests aboard the flight recorded 0.15 milligram and 0.1 mg of alcohol per liter of breath. JAL sets a limit of 0.1 mg/liter for pilots.

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