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Under its restructuring, JAL will slash nearly 16,000 jobs, reduce pensions for retired staff, cut routes and shift to more fuel-efficient aircraft. Its shares will be delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange Feb. 20, wiping out investors.

Inamori, the 78-year-old founder of Kyocera Corp., was tapped to lead JAL through the process. He described JAL as a "symbol of Japan to the rest of the world" and expressed confidence that the restructuring would be successful.

"It's very important that we resurrect JAL for the country and its economy," he said, sitting to Onishi's right.

Inamori acknowledged Monday that he was new to the airline industry and repeatedly reminded reporters that he had only been on the job a few days. But he said he brings to the job decades of experience as a proven business leader.

Inamori also founded Japan's No. 2 mobile carrier KDDI Corp. and is a respected entrepreneur with unique management ideas. He became a Buddhist monk after retiring and extols "amoeba management" theories, in which each business unit is self contained and generates its own revenue.

He has written 11 books on management and achievement, including "Respect the Divine and Love People" and "Your Dream Will Come True Without Fail."