Ryanair call for two-drink limit on passengers at airports
The airline said such a policy would result in “a safer travel experience for passengers and crews”.
The carrier announced last week it has started taking legal action to recover losses against disruptive passengers, as part of a “major misconduct clampdown”.
It said it filed civil legal proceedings against a passenger in Ireland to seek 15,000 euros (£12,600) in damages related to a flight from Dublin to Lanzarote which diverted to Porto in April last year.
Ryanair contends the passenger’s behaviour caused the diversion.
It said the 15,000 euros consists of costs such as overnight accommodation for the more than 160 passengers and six crew members (7,000 euros or £5,900), Porto Airport landing and handling fees (2,500 euros or £2,100) and Portuguese legal fees (2,500 euros or £2,100).
A Ryanair spokesperson said European governments “repeatedly fail to take action when disruptive passengers threaten aircraft safety and force them to divert”.
He went on: “It is time that European Union authorities take action to limit the sale of alcohol at airports.
“Airlines like Ryanair already restrict and limit the sale of alcohol on board our aircraft, particularly in disruptive passenger cases.
“However, during flight delays, passengers are consuming excess alcohol at airports without any limit on purchase or consumption.
“We fail to understand why passengers at airports are not limited to two alcoholic drinks (using their boarding pass in exactly the same way they limit duty free sales), as this would result in safer and better passenger behaviour on board aircraft, and a safer travel experience for passengers and crews all over Europe.”
Ryanair’s call for a two-drink limit was first made by its chief executive Michael O’Leary in August last year, as he reported an increase in disorder on flights.
At that time, he said: “We don’t want to begrudge people having a drink. But we don’t allow people to drink-drive, yet we keep putting them up in aircraft at 33,000 feet,” he said, adding it was difficult for airlines to identify inebriated people at the gate, especially when boarding in a group.
“As long as they can stand up and shuffle they will get through. Then when the plane takes off we see the misbehaviour.”
