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. He said his airline now diverts nearly one flight per day due to onboard incidents, up from one per week a decade ago.
In an interview with the Times, O’Leary questioned the need for airport bars to serve alcohol at 5 or 6am. “Who needs to be drinking beer at that time?” he asked. He argued that airports should be subject to the same licensing restrictions as other venues, and proposed a two-drink limit for passengers at airports.
O’Leary criticised airports for profiteering from early morning alcohol sales, saying they “export the problem to the airlines”. He noted that Ryanair rarely serves more than two drinks to a passenger but did not specify whether the airline would restrict its own in-flight alcohol service.
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 announced last year that it had begun legal action against disruptive passengers to recover costs, including a €15,000 claim against a passenger on a Dublin to Lanzarote flight.
The budget airline Jet2 has also called for a national database to allow airlines to share information and ban disruptive passengers collectively. O’Leary’s comments come amid growing concern across the aviation industry about rising levels of bad behaviour on flights.
