Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has argued that the tradition of consuming an early morning pint at the airport should be prohibited. He claims his airline is compelled to divert flights on an almost daily basis due to intoxicated and aggressive passengers, and that the situation is deteriorating.
Proposed Solution for Airport Drinking
To address this issue, Mr O'Leary advocates for airport bars to cease serving alcohol at such early hours and to align with the licensing regulations that govern pubs located outside airports. In an interview with The Times, he questioned the rationale behind serving beer at five or six o'clock in the morning, stating, 'I fail to understand why anybody in airport bars is serving people at five or six o'clock in the morning. Who needs to be drinking beer at that time?' He further asserted that no alcohol should be served at airports outside of standard licensing hours.
Long-standing Call for Restrictions
The CEO has been advocating for a two-drink per person limit 'for many years' and has accused airports of 'profiteering' from this troublesome travel ritual, effectively 'exporting the problem to the airlines'. Mr O'Leary noted that Ryanair itself is 'reasonably responsible' with its onboard drink service, rarely serving a passenger more than two drinks. He also highlighted that drug use has compounded the issue, with passengers becoming more inclined to 'want to fight'.
Rising Incidents and Problematic Routes
Flights from the United Kingdom to destinations such as Ibiza, Alicante, and Tenerife have been particularly problematic. It is a criminal offence to be drunk on an aeroplane, punishable by up to two years in prison and a substantial fine. Threatening and abusive passengers can face additional prosecution, as well as large compensation fees and legal action in the country where the aircraft is forced to land. Other airlines, including Jet2, are lobbying for a national database to help ban disruptive passengers from flying on UK airlines.
Escalating Frequency of Diversions
Ten years ago, Ryanair experienced approximately one diversion per week, but Mr O'Leary now reports that this has increased to nearly one per day. He commented, 'Until somebody creates an accident that causes a plane to crash and kills hundreds, no government will take this problem seriously and airlines are tearing their hair out.'
Notable Incidents of Unruly Behaviour
There have been numerous reports of unruly passengers on flights. In February of this year, a severe brawl on a Jet2 flight from Turkey to Manchester left 'blood and teeth on the floor', necessitating an emergency landing. Videos of the incident went viral. In another case, a rowdy British stag party forced an easyJet flight to divert after they were observed vaping in their seats and abusing cabin crew in May last year. Six men were escorted off the plane in Faro, Portugal, hundreds of miles from their intended destination of Marrakech. Additionally, in August 2020, two drunken English passengers on a KLM flight from Amsterdam to Ibiza refused to wear masks during the pandemic, sparking a mid-air brawl that ended with their arrest by Spanish police upon landing.
