Procès au Japon ... communiqué d'IFATCA

The International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers’ Associations (IFATCA) acknowledges today the decision of the Tokyo District Court in the case of two air traffic controllers prosecuted for negligence. Charges were pending following the near mid-air incident between JAL907 and JAL958 over Yaizu-city, Shizuoka Prefecture, in January 2001. The two controllers were employed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport at the Tokyo Area Control Center during the time of the incident. IFATCA celebrates this “not guilty” verdict after a long five-year wait.

Our Federation is grateful to The Aircraft and Railway Accident Investigation Commission and to the Japanese Courts for their considerable deliberations and just decision. It is a major step in the development and promotion of the “just culture” philosophy taking hold throughout the aviation industry today. We are pleased that the Tokyo District Court supports our claims that this incident was a “systemic” one caused by various complex factors and not solely by the actions of individual controllers.

IFATCA is appreciative of the Court’s due diligence in this case and praises its fairness and sense of justice throughout.