For some people, grabbing a drink (or several drinks) at the airport before your flight is as much a travel ritual as going through security checks. But if an airline CEO has his way, you may not be able to drink to your heart's content before boarding.
Michael O'Leary, chief executive of European budget airline Ryanair, has spoken out against allowing passengers to drink freely at the airport before their flights. The airline executive said: Telegram about a two-drink limit for passengers at airport bars. It says the move comes after a rise in in-flight violence among both passengers and cabin crew this summer.
“It's not easy for airlines to spot people who are drunk at the gate, especially if they're boarding with two or three other people,” O'Leary admitted. “As long as they can get up and move around, they can get through. Then when the plane takes off, we see the inappropriate behavior.”
He acknowledged that the policy was not intended to shame those who enjoy pre-flight drinks. “We don't want to begrudge people drinking. But we don't allow people to drink. [and] “We're driving, but we're still putting them in aircraft at 33,000 feet,” he said.
The CEO wanted the UK government to look into the matter, but admitted that airports were not happy with the idea of capping the amount of drinks they could sell to customers.
“Of course airports object and say their bars don't serve drunk passengers. But they do serve relatives of drunk passengers,” he said.
After the summer of debauchery, the situation has gotten so bad that the airline is now checking passengers at the gate and looking for ways to sneak booze on board.
“We used to only allow them to take water bottles on board, not realising they were full of vodka. Now we don't even allow them to take those,” he said.
The problem extends even beyond alcohol. “It used to be that people who drank too much would end up falling down or falling asleep. But now these passengers are also using tablets and powders,” he said. “You get much more aggressive behaviour which is very difficult to manage. And it’s not just the crew. Passengers fighting each other is a growing trend on aircraft.”
It’s not yet clear whether the new rule will go into effect, but in the meantime, be sure to drink responsibly before your flight.