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American Airlines Group said Wednesday it was "unaware" of some functions of an anti-stall system on Boeing Co's 737 MAX until last week. Boeing and the US FAA issued guidance on the system last week after a Lion Air jet crashed in Indonesia on Oct. 29, killing all 189 people on board. The FAA warned airlines last week that erroneous inputs from the system's sensors could lead the jet to automatically pitch its nose down even when autopilot is turned off, making it difficult for pilots to control. The system was designed to prevent the jet from stalling, according to information provided by Boeing to airlines. "We value our partnership with Boeing, but were unaware of some of the functionality of the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) installed on the MAX 8," an American Airlines spokesman said. "We must ensure that our pilots are fully trained on procedures and understand key systems on the aircraft they fly." Indonesian investigators said on Monday the situation the crew of a doomed Lion Air jet was believed to have faced was not contained in the aircraft's flight manual. The American Airlines spokesman said his airline was continuing to work with Boeing and the FAA and would keep pilots informed of any updates.<br/>

Japan Airlines will introduce new breathalyser tests for staff after pilots failed alcohol breath tests 19 times in little over a year, a revelation that has left the flag carrier scrambling to save its reputation. Yuji Akasaka, the president of the airline, is expected to announce measures on Friday to stamp out drinking by pilots before they fly. Nineteen pilots were found to have alcohol levels above 0.1 mg/L during the last 15 months in violation of airline policy, the Mainichi newspaper reported. There are no limits for pilots under Japanese law. A total of 12 flights were delayed as a result of positive breathalyser tests. A JAL spokesman said that a report would be submitted to the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau detailing procedural changes to be implemented as a result of the scandal. One measure will be the introduction of more accurate breathalysers to test crew before a flight, the spokesman said, adding that the equipment had already been rolled out on domestic flights. “We understand that this is a very serious issue and safety is our top concern,” he said. “We are taking action and we aim to be able to win back the trust of our customers.”<br/>