A co-pilot at the Air Japan subsidiary of All Nippon Airways Co. (ANA) was prohibited from flying after he was tested positive in an alcohol test, ANA said on Saturday, a new addition to the last series of drinking scandals involving Japanese airline companies.

The co-pilot in his 40s consumed alcohol on Thursday night that was equivalent to two middle-sized bottles of beer, or about one liter, which was more than twice the limit set by the company, local media reported.

He did not plan to tell his airline before boarding a plane on Friday from Tokyo to Yangon, Myanmar, an added flight schedule he was not originally on, ANA said.

After failing pre-flight breathalyzer tests, he was replaced by another pilot, the airline said.

The latest string of alcohol drinking events had prompted the Japanese transport ministry to introduce mandatory alcohol tests for pilots.

Japan Airlines Co. (JAL) received disciplines from the Japanese government to improve its operations in mid-January, after one of its flight attendants was found drunk on duty last December.

JAL has been embroiled in other drinking incidents involving its staff. A JAL co-pilot, who exceeded the British alcohol limit by around 10 times prior to a flight last October, was arrested in London and sentenced to 10 months in prison in late November 2018.