2 days ago
Japan Airlines chief vows to ensure safety on 40th anniversary of deadly crash
The president of Japan Airlines has expressed her resolve to ensure flight safety as the carrier marked 40 years since the world's deadliest single-plane accident.
Tottori Mitsuko spoke to reporters after attending a memorial service on Tuesday at the foot of the mountain in Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo, where the JAL jumbo jet crashed on August 12, 1985.
She said more senior citizens and children seemed to have climbed the mountain than last year, and it means that more people of all ages are sharing the sorrow.
She said she deeply feels the responsibility to protect the lives of passengers, adding that Japan Airlines employees will bear in mind for decades to come that safety is their top priority.
The carrier was reprimanded by the transport ministry in May last year over five incidents. In one of the episodes a passenger plane went across an adjacent runway without permission, and in another an aircraft crossed a stop line leading to a runway.
The ministry issued a business improvement advisory last December after two pilots were found to have conspired to cover up their excessive pre-flight drinking.
Tottori said these troubles must have caused anger and mistrust among the bereaved families.
She said that preventive measures would be pointless unless they produce results and win customers' trust.
She acknowledged that the company did not properly monitor how the measures were implemented, and the executives' understanding of risk management was insufficient.
