Photo/Illutration Japan Airlines Co. President Mitsuko Tottori speaks to reporters on May 27 in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward after the transport ministry issued a warning to the company over a series of safety issues. (Eishi Kado)

The transport ministry ordered Japan Airlines Co. (JAL) to take corrective measures on May 27 following a series of potentially catastrophic incidents including an aircraft mistakenly entering a runway and a minor collision.

“It cannot be said that the safety management system is functioning effectively throughout the company,” said Shigenori Hiraoka, who heads the transport ministry’s Civil Aviation Bureau, which issued the warning. 

JAL President Mitsuko Tottori said, “While each incident is serious in its own right, we deeply apologize for having allowed similar incidents to occur repeatedly.”

The warning comes after a string of five safety-related mishaps involving JAL aircraft in recent weeks.

On May 10, a JAL aircraft at Fukuoka Airport mistakenly entered the runway.

On May 23, two JAL aircraft clipped wings at Haneda Airport in Tokyo.

In response to these incidents, the ministry conducted an extraordinary inspection of the company on May 24.

“The biggest problem is that similar incidents have occurred consecutively despite past incidents,” said Tottori. “We want to take responsibility and take corrective actions.”

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