Transport Ministry Reviews JAL Safety After Spate Of Incidents

Japan's transport ministry has carried out an inspection at a Japan Airlines Co. office at Haneda Airport in Tokyo following a series of incidents involving the company's aircraft, including one in which two jets touched wings while taxiing, officials said, Kyodo News reported.

The ministry will instruct JAL to rectify any problems if current arrangements are found to be lacking. I Photo: Japan Airlines Facebook

Four officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism entered the office, located next to an aircraft maintenance facility, to conduct an extraordinary audit involving hearings to assess the airline's safety procedures and processes.

The ministry will instruct JAL to rectify any problems if current arrangements are found to be lacking, they said.

"We take the (series of incidents at JAL) seriously and are making all-out efforts to recover trust in air safety," Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito told a press conference.

A spokesperson for JAL echoed the minister, saying the airline is taking the audit seriously and vowing to "rebuild trust" under the ministry's guidance.

Last week, a JAL aircraft that was preparing for departure touched wings with another of the company's planes that was taxiing to a gate. The tips of both planes' wings were damaged, Mainichi Japan also reported.