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RYANAIR HAS CALLED on airports in the UK to address a spike in disruptive behaviour on its aircraft caused by excessive drinking.
Figures compiled by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) show that there has been a significant rise in disturbances caused by passengers over the past several years.
In 2013, some 85 dangerous incidents were recorded, while last year that figure rose to 421 – the CAA noted that the majority of these incidents are related to excessive alcohol consumption.
Earlier this year, Spanish police had to board a Ryanair flight in Palma and remove three drunk men after a brawl on a flight from Manchester.
Irish budget carrier Ryanair has asked for measures to be introduced that would curb alcohol sales in British airports.
Its proposed solution would involve a ban on the sale of all alcohol in airport bars and restaurants before 10am and a limit on the number of drinks per passenger to a maximum of two.
It also recommended that the sale of alcohol should be limited during flight delays to prevent excessive drinking.
Fora asked Ryanair if it was proposing that similar measures be introduced in Irish airports.
The airline responded that there are no plans to encourage Irish airports to introduce similar limits on the sale of alcohol and that this issue is more prevalent in the UK.
In a statement, Ryanair’s marketing chief, Kenny Jacobs, said excessive alcohol consumption was “a particular problem during flight delays when airports apply no limit to the sale of alcohol”.
Ryanair said it has already introduced its own measures to curb disruptive behaviour on flights by banning the consumption of duty-free purchases on board.
It also noted that passengers who fly between Manchester and Glasgow to holiday destinations such as Alicante and Ibiza are no longer allowed to bring duty-free alcohol on board.
Repeated calls
Earlier this year, tourism officials in the Balearic Islands went one step further than Ryanair and called for an outright ban on the sale of alcohol on flights and in airports in the European Union.
The tourist authorities for Ibiza and Magaluf said the sale of alcohol is fueling anti-social tourism.
Several high-profile incidents of ‘air rage’ on flights this year also prompted a call for action by the House of Lords in the UK.
A parliamentary report recommended that restrictions need to be imposed on alcohol consumption at airports and on aircraft.
It said that the “control of the sale of alcohol seems to be relaxed” in airports, which is contributing to anti-social behaviour.
Written by Killian Woods and posted on Fora.ie
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The problem are chavs going to Benidorm etc. Sadly nobody will do anything about it, as it’s business (alcohol sales and all that goes with it). However solution is simple. Do breath test and anybody over certain limit should not be allowed on board. No refund on ticket either. That could teach them quick, no better deterrent than financial penalty.
@Tomasz Kuchnik: i often have a few beers before i get on a plane and behave myself .the problem is some people are idiots whether the are drunk or sober
@Terry McSweeney: true this, some people stay civil despite being drunk, so the staff should be able to use own discretion as well rather than just a hard rule… larger groups of males or females are usually the ones causing havoc. Alternatively allow all in – but in case of causing chaos during flight – have them arrested / penalised with big fine on arrival.
@Tomasz Kuchnik: certain people drink just to get over the fear of flying ban them also?
They’re never going to do breath test on every passenger, it’s just not going to happen. Besides, they’re unnecessary, you can always tell when someone has had a few too many. Especially when they’re wearing a fully inflated life vest while trying to take shit in the overhead compartment.
@Paul Mcnevin: If you need to be drunk to get on a plane, don’t get on a plane.
@Tomasz Kuchnik: stamp the boarding passes when drink bought 2 or 3 max?
@DaisyChainsaw: I don’t think that’s what he said but never mind.
@Paul Mcnevin: that would be me and I’ve never cause any trouble on a flight. 3 pints to kill the nerves
@O Swetenham: Where ever you get of sense is very different from normal, if you thought that scenario up yourself you need to seek help if you actually saw it we all need help. It is not an overhead compartment it is an Overhead bin according to the cabin crew which is shortened to just the bin. I was on a flight several years ago when the passenger took out their duty free when a stern hostess told them to put their drink “in the bin” which caused panic. I was dating a hostess at the time and managed to clam things down by telling them that if they drank their own stuff they would not get a free drink (was standard at that time). The free drink is gone these days thanks to the like of Ryan Air and guess who is making the most noise about the problems? Alcohol is far more effective in pressurised plane cabins so what makes you drunk on the ground will be a lot dramatic on a plane.
It is not the airport or the airline to make people behave themselves, surely we need people to take responsibility for their own behaviour.
Yeah, I don’t see them restricting on board sales pre 10am…..
Should stop selling alcohol or anything else on a Ryanair flight and see if O’Leary likes that. Ban any kind of enjoyment for people
@Whoswho: nobody flies Ryanair for enjoyment purposes
@Barra O Brien: I do I enjoy spending the money I saved at my destination as opposed giving it to Aer Lingus
@Whoswho: Enjoyment??? Moronic drunk people sitting around me? – well thanks but no thanks.
@Whoswho: Are you suggest enjoying drunken louts on a flight or did you mean something else?
Air crew already have powers to refuse drunken passengers boarding a place. Use these powers?
Passports should be seen as drivers license depending on what you do your passport be revoked for 6 months to up to 2 years +/- plus a find again on what you did. And could also be used for none airport issues.
No alcohol on planes.
@Pat Troy: sensible and logical but Ryanair want to increase demand on flights.
@Pat Troy: As a seasoned pilot I strenuously object to that suggestion! I’m an exceedingly nervous person and I don’t think that I would actually be able to fly a plane without an occasional in-flight shot. People are far too PC in my opinion. I recently had a co-pilot who objected to me smoking in the cockpit. And it wasn’t even tobacco!
@Tomasz Irlandczik Krótki: can’t wait to be on your next flight…not
I thought Ryanair would prefer half scuttered passengers so they could flog more of those scratch cards.
@Dj: Ryanair want them to get scuttered on booze bought from Ryanair.
Restrict the sales of alcohol to onflight.
How about just not letting them on the plane if they’re drunk as skunks? Ryanair also don’t seem to mind selling people a lorry of alcohol on planes either.
Ryan air sell booze to anyone, drunk or not, right up to the last few minutes before landing.
@Rob Mills: not my experience. The trolleys threatened a dry flight due to a few young lads acting the tool.
@lavbeer: may have threatened but didn’t stop serving.
@lavbeer: when flying UK-Ireland it is very often a dry flight for those sat in the centre rows of the aircraft. The trolleys don’t have time to get to them. Not always, but too often.
As I write this I’m watching BBC Panorama – Plane Drunk. I have to say it’s very worrying and frightening watching it.
I work on the planes of a certain orange tail lcc. After the pax disembark, the cabin is like a bombsite. just shows the type of individual these low cost carriers can attract.
@Barbara Edwards: Totally agree Barbara, watching the same programme and if I was on that flight where they are openly punching and fighting in the aisle, then I don’t think I would ever fly again, it is horrific, imagine if there were young children on board, it was terrifying , I think the jail term of nine months was well warranted and should be imposed more frequently but restricting alcohol sales before flying is key, as for the conduct of the girls…..less said.
@Bairéid Rísteard: maybe they are the only airline that fly to the airport the rest of us humans have to get to
So yet again the sensible people are punished by the actions of a few. Punish the disruptive by banning them and fining them.
More free advertising for Ryanair. Maybe Ryanair should release their own figures on the number of their passengers that are involved in alcohol related incidents. Out of 110 million passengers they carry I reckon it barely scrapes over 0.005% of their passengers. This is a complete over reaction. Personal responsibility applies to all passenger’s and airlines need to enforce their own rules regarding intoxicated passengers and deny them boarding.
This nonsense is simply a case of Ryanair wanting someone else to do their job for them.
I recently travelled through Stansted for work. As I had a long wait until my connecting flight, I decided to book into the executive lounge. It was cheaper than going into London or moving from cafe to cafe and it has good wifi. I got to the lounge at about 9am and it was full of hens and stags guzzling bottles of prosecco. There’s no limit on the amount of wine, beer or prosecco you can have and you can stay for 3 hours. One group get through 4 bottles (while I was there) before they left for their flight
@Anne Marie Devlin: If they’re clearly drunk don’t let them fly but many people heading on holidays like to get off to a flying start as well as flying but they just have one or two to relax. You wait all year and are told no drink……ffs.
Ryanair: We shouldn’t pay airport fees because we bring loads of people to spend money in your airport.
Also Ryanair: Stop selling drink to our passengers.
Stop the sale of alcohol in airports.
@Patrick Yore: Exactly, punishing the majority because of the minority always seems to be the solution for some reason. Why not just stop people who are clearly drunk from boarding the planes?? Let us enjoy our few drinks while the idiots can’t get on the plane.
@sean o’dhubhghaill: Stop drunks getting on planes
should that not be boozy passengers?
@Living The Laws: Freudian slip? :-)
@Liam flag: nah, i’d say it was provocative click bait since the article mentions passengers in the 2nd paragraph. truly terrible.
Sure what do they care they’re pulling out or was that last weeks headline seeking??
Passengers should not have to put up with this crap,anti social hucksters should be automatically banned from flying for six months on all airlines .there is nothing more terrifying for small children and and senor citizens than drunks squabbling in a small confined space ,yes go after them by all means .
Irrational though it be, I’m a nervous flier, so a glass of wine pre-flight suits me. Bugger off, RyanAir.
Is it a spike in boozy passengers or a spike in irrational decisions by airline staff??
How many people fly from the uk every year? 20 million? so 421 passengers is not a lot don’t think every one should have to suffer over these idiots.
Hillarous to see all the chumps fall for this as usual! Ryanair are the masters of free advertising!
Drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink
If you carry human trash then you should expect such behaviour.
But surely, post-Brexit, Ryanair won’t be flying to or from the Uk, so this won’t be a problem for them.
If they cause disruption on a flight have them arrested on arrival and returned to country of origin with a ban on flying
on any airline for a period of time
have your say