The debate over whether the traditional early morning airport pint should be banned has intensified, with two of the British Isles' most successful businessmen taking opposing sides. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has revealed that flights are now being diverted almost daily due to drunken bad behaviour, prompting him to suggest that airport alcohol sales should be outlawed in the mornings and a potential two-drink per person limit introduced.
However, Wetherspoon boss Sir Tim Martin hit back against what he called the 'Big Brother' approach, arguing that banning the practice could lead to passengers being breathalysed before flying. He noted that his pub chain, which has eight locations in UK airports, makes most of its money from food, soft drinks, tea and coffee sales rather than alcohol.
Mr O'Leary insists a ban is necessary, claiming airport bars are 'profiteering' off drunken people on planes and 'exporting the problem' from pubs onto airlines. While Sir Tim admitted that good behaviour at airports and on flights is in everyone's interests, he said implementing the suggestions would be difficult to manage.
The row has reignited debate over whether the 'drink-before-you-fly' culture, which has grown in recent decades due to budget airlines and large airport pubs like Wetherspoon, should be curbed. Stephen Wood, an aviation security expert at Leeds Beckett University, pointed out that Mr O'Leary's calls follow a rise in disruptive passengers on airlines.
Wood told the Daily Mail: 'Clearly we are seeing more of this behaviour, which seems to make its way onto social media. With airlines seeking compensation for loss from passengers engaged in this behaviour, banning the early morning pint appears logical. I never could work out why passengers would want a pint for breakfast and I am sure those convicted of such offences deeply regret their actions later.'
Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden said Ryanair's customers would not back the ban, but the airline had a responsibility to stop drunk people getting on board. He told Sky News: 'I think there is something peculiarly British about the tradition of having a pint at sort of 6am when you're waiting for your Ryanair flight. And I think banning that is not necessarily the right answer - sounds slightly draconian. And also, what about all those tiny little airports that Ryanair flies to across Europe which don't have all of those bars and other things? I think this is an attempt to grab headlines rather than deal with a serious problem.'
Others disagreed with UK rules that mean airside bars are generally exempt from traditional high-street licensing laws, allowing them to serve alcohol at irregular hours. Etiquette expert Liz Brewer told GB News: 'I absolutely agree with this ban. I think what we need to do is bring it in line with our drinking laws. For some reason airports have a different rule. We're talking about risk here and it is the early morning flights that have been affected. I'm not saying ban it, you could limit it, but why can't we have it in line with our normal drinking laws, despite the fact people may be on different time schedules.'
Former Labour MP Stephen Pound accused Mr O'Leary of trying to 'squeeze every last dime out of you' and noted that Ryanair sells alcohol on board. He told GB News: 'Every time I'm on holiday, you have a little trouble going through security, you've got to get your bag, all that business. To actually get airside, you can sit and relax, your plane's coming, what do you do, you relax, you have a small, sweet sherry.'
Sir Tim told The Times that a two-drink limit would be 'extraordinarily difficult to implement, short of breathalysing passengers' and would be an overreaction, especially since many problems stem from incoming flights. He noted that two-thirds of Wetherspoon's takings were not from alcohol, and a significant portion of alcoholic drinks were ordered with a meal. He argued that imposing limits could drive passengers to buy alcohol from supermarkets before arriving at the airport.
Mr O'Leary said: '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 proposed that airport bar licensing laws be brought in line with external licensing. Ryanair is 'reasonably responsible' with its drinks, rarely serving more than two beverages on board, he added.
The clash is not new; in 2024, Mr O'Leary made a similar call for a two-drink limit. Other airlines like Jet2 are lobbying for a national database to ban disruptive passengers. It is a criminal offence to be drunk on an aircraft, punishable by up to two years in prison and a hefty fine. Threatening and abusive passengers can face further prosecution, and if a flight is diverted, offenders may be ordered to pay large compensation fees.
Numerous incidents have occurred, including a Ryanair flight from Newcastle to Ibiza on April 26 that turned into a mid-air party, and a stag party that forced an easyJet diversion after vaping and abusing crew. Wetherspoon recently opened its first continental European pub at Alicante Airport and plans two more in Barcelona.
