Passengers can buy a maximum of two drinks per boarding pass at the airport, O’Leary told British newspaper The Telegraph. “It’s not easy for airlines to identify drunk people at the gate, especially if they’re boarding with two or three people,” O’Leary said. “As long as they can stand and move, they can pass. You know who is misbehaving when the plane takes off.
He did not want to ban anyone from drinking alcohol altogether. “But we don’t allow drink driving and yet we’re putting them on flights at 33,000 feet (about 10,000 meters),” the Ryanair boss told Britain’s Watch.
The Telegraph writes that alcohol-related incidents are common on flights from Great Britain, particularly to so-called party destinations such as Ibiza and some Greek islands. Rynair has reportedly begun searching the bags of passengers bound for Ibiza for water bottles allegedly filled with vodka. Now, according to O’Leary, water bottles are no longer allowed.
Mix with “pills and powder”.
Sinead Quinn, responsible for cabin group training at Ryanair, told the newspaper that the problem affects many sectors of society, from youth groups to families. However, Great Britain is particularly challenged in this area. Flights are also banned.
One reason for the increase is the combination of alcohol and “pills and powder,” O’Leary said of other drugs. There are also problems with flights from Ireland and Germany. In July, a British tourist was given a suspended prison sentence for sexual assault. He caught a flight attendant on a Ryanair flight from Newcastle to Mallorca.
“This is not a drinking trip”
It continues that the most difficult days are those with many delays. Generally, passengers arrive at the airport an hour before departure, which is enough time for a couple of drinks. But if it took too long and the flight was delayed by a few hours, “five, six, eight, ten” beers would have been drunk. Better pass the waiting time with coffee or tea. “This is not a drunken trip.”
Airports are opposed to his proposed restrictions and insist that inebriated people will not be served at their bars anyway, O’Leary continued. However, co-travellers or relatives will be provided accordingly. O’Leary assured him that his request would have no impact on the airport bar’s revenue, as drinks and food would still be available.
