Japan Airlines CEO Mitsuko Tottori to take 30% salary cut
Japan Airlines's CEO Mitsuko Tottori is getting a 30% salary cut for two months after two cabin crew members broke the airline's alcohol policy.
The incident happened on May 23, 2026, just before Flight JL252 from Hiroshima to Tokyo Haneda, when the crew member tested positive for alcohol during routine checks.
This led to a 40-minute delay as Japan Airlines scrambled to find a replacement and called it an "extremely serious management failure."
Japan Airlines executives face pay cuts
It's not just the CEO feeling the impact: two executives responsible for safety and cabin operations will take a 20% pay cut for one month, while other senior officers get a 10% cut.
After looking into what happened, Japan Airlines fired one cabin crew member and suspended another who went over the alcohol limit during a layover.
The move fits with Japan's culture of holding leaders accountable, even when mistakes happen on their team.