The transport ministry said Thursday it will subject the Japan Airlines Group to special safety inspections through the end of the year, following a spate of safety-related problems involving the nation's largest carrier.
The unusual move is designed to ensure that JAL follows up on the safety procedures it promised earlier in the day to carry out, according to ministry officials.
The problems include a jetliner starting a takeoff roll without clearance from the control tower, a plane taxiing onto the wrong runway, and a plane being flown with an inactive escape chute.