JAL board member Mitsuko Tottori to become airline’s first female president

Japan Airlines said Wednesday that Senior Managing Executive Officer Mitsuko Tottori will become the company’s president effective April 1.

Tottori, who joined JAL in 1985 as a cabin attendant and ascended to become the second woman to serve as a representative director at the airline, will become its first female president.

The reshuffle comes as the airline seeks to recover from the pandemic-era downturn and as tourists flock back to Japan.

Current President Yuji Akasaka will become the chairperson while continuing to hold a representative director title, Japan Airlines said in a statement.

JAL Group has set a target of women making up 30% of its managers by the end of the fiscal year to March 2026.