Photo/Illutration All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines jets parked at Haneda Airport in Tokyo (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Widespread cheating was found among airline employees who had their textbooks open during tests to obtain licenses to drive vehicles in restricted areas of Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.

ANA Holdings Inc. announced Feb. 20 that a total of 82 employees at two group companies cheated on the exams.

When taking the online test, those employees used their textbooks to find the correct answer.

Japan Airlines Co. announced the same day that 16 employees at two of its group companies had cheated on the same exam.

According to transport ministry officials, authorization by the airport manager is required before an individual can operate motor vehicles in restricted areas, such as runways.

Passing an exam that asks questions such as where vehicles should be stopped and speed limits is a requirement for receiving such certification.

According to ANA Holdings officials, eight ANA maintenance crew members and 74 employees of ANA Airport Services Co. who were involved in ground handling work at Haneda Airport cheated.

Between August 2022 and February 2024, the test monitors were mistakenly persuaded to allow test takers to look at their textbooks during the exam or to allow those who had passed the exam at other airports to use the textbooks during the test.

JAL officials said three employees of JAL Royal Catering Co., which provides in-flight meals, and 13 employees of JAL Sky Co., which offers passenger services at the airport, were involved in the dishonesty. 

Cheating was detected on five exams taken between September 2023 and January 2024.

ANA and JAL conducted internal investigations after an informant told the transport ministry about the cheating at JAL Royal Catering.

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