Arrests at Liverpool John Lennon Airport increased by 42% between 2023 and 2025, driven by a dramatic rise in sexual offence and immigration-related arrests, according to data obtained by the Liverpool Echo through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Merseyside Police.
Arrest Figures by Year
In 2023, police made 173 arrests at the airport. This rose to 216 in 2024 and reached 246 in 2025. The largest percentage increase was in sexual offence-related arrests, which jumped from just one in 2023 to 14 in 2025 – a 1,300% rise. Immigration arrests also surged, from 11 in 2023 to 29 in 2025, an increase of 164%.
Violence-related arrests grew from 21 in 2023 to 39 in 2025, while alcohol-related arrests rose from nine to 16 over the same period, ranking fourth among 20 categories in 2025.
Context and Passenger Numbers
The increase in arrests comes as passenger numbers at the airport have grown significantly. In 2023, 4.2 million passengers passed through, rising to 5.1 million in 2024 and over 5.6 million in 2025 – a record year. Despite the rise, arrests represented only about 0.004% of total passengers each year.
The FOI data also showed a category labelled "(blank)" which topped the list of offences each year. Merseyside Police did not elaborate on this when asked.
Ryanair CEO's Comments
The data was released after Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary called for a ban on early morning pre-flight alcohol sales. Speaking last month, he said disruptive behaviour on flights has increased, with Ryanair now diverting nearly one flight per day due to bad behaviour, up from one per week a decade ago. He told The Times: "It's becoming a real challenge for all airlines. 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?"
Police Response
Inspector Beth Blake from Merseyside Police's Airport Policing Team said: "Merseyside Police works closely alongside Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Border Force officials, security teams, and businesses based at the airport, both to provide a visible presence and to respond when crimes are reported.
"Considering the increasing number of millions of people using the airport per year, arrest numbers are low, and this demonstrates the excellent work between our agencies, and the comprehensive CCTV and other crime prevention tools in operation.
"Arrests also include people who are wanted and intercepted at the airport. This can be in relation to a variety of offences so while the arrests are recorded at the airport, the offences have often occurred elsewhere, either in the UK or internationally. Report any incidents or concerns to us immediately and we will take the appropriate action."
Liverpool John Lennon Airport declined to comment.
