On Nov. 5, All Nippon Airways Co said it has disqualified an Airbus A320 captain from flight duties for drinking nine and a half hours before a flight in 2006 in violation of its in-house rules that prohibit crew members from drinking within 12 hours of a flight.

The 38-year-old captain was moved to ground duties on Nov. 5, ANA said, adding that it has given demotions, pay cuts and other punishments to three of his superiors, including Mitsuo Morimoto, executive vice president in charge of flight operations.

ANA said that in September 2006 the captain drank alcoholic beverages at a hotel and other locations in Nagoya until around 10 p.m. one evening before flying the following day on a 7:25 a.m. flight from Nagoya to Niigata. He flew a total of four flights that day.