The global oil crisis may be causing turbulence for airlines, but at Manchester Airport, a different kind of fuel is on passengers' minds. Thousands of travellers are starting their holidays with early morning drinks, leading to a daily stampede to the bar as early as 3:30 am.
Critics argue that many are on a mission to get 'tanked up' as quickly as possible, fuelling bad behaviour on planes. This week, Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary called for a ban on airport pubs serving alcohol before early morning flights, along with a two-drink limit at other times. He said it would help tackle the growing issue of booze-fuelled misconduct on aircraft.
Sir Tim Martin, boss of pub giant JD Wetherspoon, hit back, insisting it had 'never been suggested' his customers cause disruption on flights and that introducing a limit would require breathalysing passengers. Others claim such a move would deprive citizens of fundamental civil liberties and end a great British tradition.
Two years ago, it emerged that one of Sir Tim's airport pubs, The Windmill at Stansted Airport, had become its busiest outlet in the UK. Wetherspoon, which has eight airport pubs, is set to open its latest outlet this year at Manchester Airport's state-of-the-art Terminal Two, which underwent a £1 billion transformation in 2021.
One of Ryanair's former pilots identified Manchester and Glasgow as having the worst routes for drunk British passengers, often flying to party destinations like Ibiza and Majorca. Part of the issue is that airside bars in the UK are not required to follow restrictions on opening hours that apply to other venues selling alcohol. However, being drunk on a plane is a criminal offence in the UK, punishable by a fine of up to £5,000 and two years' imprisonment.
Amid the growing debate, the Daily Mail headed to Manchester Airport to see if the ex-Ryanair pilot was right. At 3:30 am, the two main airside pubs at Terminal Two had already opened their doors, as thousands of passengers worked their way through airport security. By 3:52 am, there was just a handful of customers at the Amber Alehouse and the nearby Bridgewater Exchange, which has its own microbrewery and became the first UK pub to have its own airside brewery. These pubs operate differently from normal hostelries and are run more like restaurants, with customers directed to tables and orders taken via QR codes.
At 4:13 am, warehouse worker Lewis Williams, 21, and his gas engineer friend Finn Lewis-John, 18, were making preparations ahead of jetting off to Ibiza on a 6 am Tui flight. The pair, from Wrexham, had been given a lift to the airport by Finn's aunt before heading straight for the Bridgewater Exchange pub. At this point, they had each downed a couple of £7.80 pints of Peroni lager. Lewis said of O'Leary's comments: 'Michael O'Leary should have a word with himself. He's an idiot and I don't care if he bans me for life for saying so. If he was not a multi-millionaire and was more like us, he might not look down on his customers so much.' Finn added: 'We had a couple of beers before we left at 1 am. We got here quicker than we thought and as soon as we got through security we headed straight for the bar. But we're certainly going to enjoy ourselves but I can't go too crazy as I just started a new job two weeks ago and they do random drink and drugs tests.'
At 4:23 am, bride-to-be Olivia Boardman, 25, from Manchester, and her hen party were getting established around tables in the pub. The group, made up of eight friends and relatives including her mother, were excitedly looking forward to their cowgirl themed hen party in Ibiza. Before their 6:10 am Jet2 flight, Olivia started with a bottle of mineral water but added: 'I'm waiting for my Prosecco – we are on a hen do.' Her sister Ava, 27, said: 'I've ordered a pint of Peroni. I hadn't heard anything about restricting the amount you can drink before you fly. You should just have fun – that's what we're doing. We're not going to get carried away. You've got to be able to control yourself and not go too far.'
By 5 am, the Bridgewater Exchange, which has capacity for around 400 travellers, was packed with ever growing queues snaking into the concourse. At 5:25 am, Mark Davies, 50, who works for a breakfast cereal manufacturer, was starting on his second £7.50 pint of Magners cider. He was booked on a 7 am Jet2 flight to Alicante with his nurse partner Hayley Roberts on a trip to celebrate her 50th birthday, with a party of 10. The group are staying at a resort near Benidorm. After arriving at the airport shortly after 3 am, the couple cleared security at 3:50 am before heading to the bar. Mark said: 'I think it's a cultural thing that you go to the airport and you drink, but I'm 50 years old and I don't think I've thought "Right I've got to get off my face at the airport" – even when I was a young man. I agree with Michael O'Leary to a degree. You see shocking videos on social media and planes being diverted. The last thing you want is trouble when you're up in the air.'
Yards away, at the Amber Alehouse, there were similar scenes as customers formed orderly queues. One woman passenger said: 'There is something magical about starting your holiday with an early morning drink. It's just something you would never otherwise do. It's a small minority who ruin it for everyone else. If it was all regimented and they start monitoring you, that would take away the fun of it.'
At 7 am, tiler Andrew Taylor, 45, from Salford, was getting ready to head to the departure gate with his father William, 71, and brothers Adam, 42, and Daniel, 34. The group were all drinking beer apart from Andrew, who said of O'Leary's comments: 'I'm not worried – I'm teetotal. I've been getting myself tanked up on cups of tea and orange juice. I'm in rehab – I'm an addict. I could have a drink now and I'd ruin the entire holiday for everyone – I'd be that guy on the plane.'
At 7:19 am, civil servant Claire Travis, from Wrexham, was finishing off a £30 bottle of white wine she had shared with her best friend Samantha, 52, a hospital worker. They each paid £952 for a week-long all-inclusive holiday at a five star resort in Cape Verde. Mother-of-two Claire said: 'This is where the holiday starts. At the end of the day you've saved your money all year for this and you want to make the most of it. We don't drink at home but we're on holiday and it's a special occasion – you're only 50 once.'
Back at the Exchange, at 7:43 am, railway worker Michael Rankin, 36, was among a group of four pals from Doncaster sporting comedy black wigs who were downing pints ahead of catching an 8:55 am flight to Faro in Portugal. With his friends, plumber Liam John, 37, Barry John, 35, and Calum Stork, 35, the group were heading out to meet a 50-strong stag do in Albufeira. Michael said: 'We'd all look ridiculous if we were heading off on a stag do and all sitting round drinking cups of tea instead of having a pint. The boss of Ryan Air has got enough money already and he should stop penny-pinching as that is what this is all about. He's being a bit rude. He doesn't seem to have a very high opinion of his customers and he should know that the customer is always right. He should let the lads have fun – that's what his priority should be.'
Shortly afterwards, a second bride-to-be, Hayley Bryan, 40, was clearly in a celebratory mood, as her 19-strong group were getting ready to party in the Algarve. As the group from Stoke-on-Trent had been downing £37 bottles of Prosecco, Hayley branded O'Leary 'boring', saying: 'I'm getting married – it only happens once in a lifetime and I've waited a long time. We're just getting the party started. There's a group of 19 of us, all family and friends and colleagues, what would you expect. Besides that I think that everybody should have a drink at the airport.'
After the peak rush of early morning flights, things began to quieten down after 8 am, although pubs remained busy. Of the numerous passengers spoken to, most insisted an early morning airport drink was the signal to kick off their holiday. Some insisted having a couple of drinks 'calmed their nerves' or helped them sleep on flights before the real party begins at their destination. Others, however, appeared hell-bent on setting off on a jet-propelled mission without caring too much about where they would finally land.
