Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. has appointed Mitsuko Tottori, a former flight attendant, as its first female president. Tottori, who joined the company in 1985, will take over from current president and chief executive officer Yuji Akasaka on April 1, the carrier said in a Wednesday statement. Tottori started her career as a cabin crew in 1985 when the JAL Flight123 crashed into a mountain near Tokyo, killing 520 people.

It was the worst single-aircraft accident in Japan's history. Tottori, who worked in the frontline before becoming the director of the cabin crew in 2015, said that the safety of the airlines will be her topmost priority. The airline also commented that Tottori has a "high level of insight and field experience" in safety operations.