Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has called for a two-drink limit at airport bars in an effort to reduce alcohol-related incidents on flights. This proposal follows a surge in violent behaviour involving intoxicated passengers, with O'Leary attributing the issue to a combination of alcohol and other substances like drugs.
O'Leary explained in an interview with the Daily Telegraph that once aboard, passengers who appeared sober at the gate often misbehave once the flight takes off. He compared the situation to drink-driving, stressing the risks of allowing intoxicated individuals on aircraft at 33,000 feet.
Alcohol-fuelled disruptions have become a growing problem, particularly on flights to popular party destinations like Ibiza and the Canary Islands. Incidents have included assaults on cabin crew and brawls between passengers, prompting Ryanair to introduce stricter measures, such as pre-flight bag searches and a ban on water bottles used to conceal alcohol.
The Ryanair boss added that delayed flights only add to the problem, with passengers staying at the airport for an extended time, and drinking more alcohol. “Most of our passengers show up an hour before departure. That’s sufficient for two drinks. But if your flight is delayed by two or three hours you can’t be guzzling five, six, eight, ten pints of beer,” he said.
However, his two-drink limit proposal may face opposition, especially from airport hospitality businesses like Wetherspoons, whose chairman, Tim Martin, has criticised the move.
Despite this, airport authorities have assured the public that penalties such as fines, flight bans, and even jail time will be enforced for unruly passengers.
