Michael O'Leary, the chief executive of Ryanair, has called for a ban on alcohol sales at airport bars before early morning flights, citing a sharp increase in disruptive passenger behaviour. In an interview with the Times, O'Leary stated that his airline now diverts an average of nearly one flight per day due to onboard incidents, up from one per week a decade ago.
O'Leary questioned the necessity of serving alcohol at 5 or 6 a.m., noting that airport bars in the UK are exempt from standard licensing hour restrictions. He proposed that no alcohol should be served outside normal licensing hours and suggested a two-drink limit at airports. Ryanair itself rarely serves more than two drinks per passenger, he added.
The Ryanair boss criticised airports for profiteering from early morning alcohol sales, saying they are 'quite happy to send these people as much alcohol as they want because they know they're going to export the problem to the airlines.' 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.
Ryanair began taking legal action against disruptive passengers in January last year, including a case in Ireland seeking €15,000 (£12,500) in damages for a diverted flight from Dublin to Lanzarote. Meanwhile, budget airline Jet2 has called for a national database to enable airlines to collaboratively ban disruptive passengers.
