The efficient and secure departure of a Japan Airlines plane that experienced a fire after colliding with a Coast Guard aircraft during landing at Tokyo’s Haneda airport on Tuesday demonstrates the airline’s strong commitment to safety and thorough training, as well as lessons learned from previous emergencies.

In 2006, JAL established a Safety Promotion Center at the airport to incorporate knowledge gained from the tragic accident of Flight 123 on August 12, 1985, when it crashed into a mountain in northern Tokyo. This incident claimed the lives of 520 individuals, with only four survivors. As a tribute, JAL employees maintain a memorial at Otsuka Ridge, and new staff members climb to the site to honor those who perished.

The airline states on its website that they made a promise to prevent any future accidents like the one that caused pain and grief for affected families and raised concerns about airline safety.

On Tuesday evening, during the evacuation of the Airbus 350, only 17 individuals sustained minor injuries while using emergency slides and attempting to escape the blazing plane. Unfortunately, five individuals on the Bombardier Dash-8 aircraft from the Japan Coast Guard lost their lives, but the pilot survived with severe injuries.

According to JAL spokesperson Keiko Miyoshi, international aviation safety organizations require all crew members and flight attendants to participate in a yearly emergency drill, where the goal is to evacuate all passengers within 90 seconds. Passing this test is mandatory for all individuals involved.

The quick evacuation of Tuesday’s flight was attributed to thorough training and cooperative passengers who followed instructions and left their belongings.

In May 2019, a tragic event at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport highlighted the dangers of attempting to bring luggage during an emergency evacuation. A Sukhoi SSJ100 aircraft caught fire and made a difficult landing, resulting in the death of 41 out of 78 passengers on board. Video footage showed some of the 37 survivors carrying their hand luggage as they slid down an inflatable slide from the front of the plane. This raised concerns about whether trying to retrieve their bags may have hindered the evacuation, where every second could mean the difference between life and death.

In 2023, JAL did not experience any major aircraft accidents. However, similar to other airlines, it does make mistakes from time to time. Recently, the company issued a written apology for “several instances of misconduct” at its subsidiary, JAL Engineering, after being reprimanded by the Ministry of Transport.

On Tuesday, the airline reported that the aircraft’s announcement system was not working properly. As a result, flight attendants had to use megaphones and raise their voices to direct passengers to use three emergency slides to evacuate the plane. Passengers captured videos of themselves covering their mouths with handkerchiefs and calmly making their way to the exits.

Within 20 minutes of the landing, all passengers used the emergency slides to evacuate the burning plane as smoke filled the cabin.

All airlines around the world have to prepare for this exercise, which is a crucial part of the training at Japan Airlines and its competitor, All Nippon Airways. This training has gained a legendary reputation and has been depicted in various forms of media, such as manga comics, TV series, and movies like “Attention Please” and “Good Luck.” These films are based on a popular 1970s comic strip that has been remade multiple times and features a promising young pilot.

A study of the 1985 accident uncovered numerous issues with the plane and the response to the emergency. However, it also determined that the majority of those on board would have perished immediately, without any chance of survival.

The training facility displays remnants from the JAL 123 disaster, details on the evolution of aviation safety through past incidents, and safety commitments authored by staff members. JAL employees carry a safety charter card that emphasizes the importance of not making assumptions and addressing all potential safety issues.

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Yamaguchi made a contribution from Kyoto, Japan.