Japan Airlines Chairman Steps Down

Isao Kaneko, Chairman and Director or Japan Airlines Corp, will be stepping down this month.

He is taking responsibility for a number of safety problems according to the company.

AP mentions some of these safety problems:

The news that Isao Kaneko will resign May 31 came a day after a drop in cabin pressure forced a JAL flight from New York to Tokyo with 355 people aboard to make an emergency landing. There were no injuries.

The flagship carrier has been under mounting pressure amid a series of embarrassing safety lapses that drew widespread attention in January, when a JAL pilot in northern Japan attempted to take off without receiving approval from air traffic controllers.

A public warning about safety errors was issued to the company earlier in the year by Japan’s Transport Ministry.

The airline will remain without a chairman for the time being.

Japan Airlines Corp’s net profit for 2004 reached 30.10 billion yen (US$286.66 million), up from an 88.62 billion yen loss the previous year. Its revenue increased by 10%.

Chris is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest ebusiness news.