Wetherspoon founder Tim Martin has criticised Ryanair's call for a two-drink limit at airports, labelling it a 'Big Brother' approach that would be extraordinarily difficult to enforce. The pub chain boss responded after Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary urged airports to ban early-morning alcohol sales and impose a two-drink restriction per passenger to curb unruly behaviour on flights.
Martin's Response to O'Leary's Proposal
Mr Martin argued that implementing such a limit would be nearly impossible without breathalysing passengers, and described the proposal as an overreaction. He noted that many problems stem from incoming flights rather than those departing from UK airports. Wetherspoon, which operates pubs in major airports including Stansted, Heathrow, and Gatwick, has previously clashed with Mr O'Leary over the issue of drinking before flying.
Current Licensing Laws and O'Leary's Concerns
Under the Licensing Act 2003, airside venues such as pubs, restaurants, and shops can sell alcohol without a premises licence, unlike other establishments across the country. Mr O'Leary argued that these rules should be tightened, stating that no alcohol should be served outside standard licensing hours. He suggested limiting passengers by boarding pass to two drinks per person per airport. The Ryanair CEO added that his airline rarely serves more than two alcoholic drinks during a flight, but accused airports of exporting problems to airlines by allowing bars to open early and serve unlimited alcohol during delays.
Wetherspoon's Defence of Airport Pubs
In response, J D Wetherspoon analysed sales data from its airport pubs over the past six months and found that two-thirds of sales came from food, soft drinks, tea, and coffee. The company emphasised that a significant proportion of alcoholic drinks were ordered with meals. It also warned that imposing limits could drive passengers to buy alcohol from off-licences or supermarkets before arriving at the airport. Wetherspoon stressed that its airport pubs are highly supervised environments with strict policies to prevent excessive drinking, and noted that it has never been suggested that its customers have caused issues on flights. The company reiterated that the problem is often worse on incoming flights from destinations with less stringent airport controls, a view shared by Mr O'Leary.
The Independent has contacted Ryanair and J D Wetherspoon for further comment.
