Booze curb plea as toll of drunken fliers soars
HUNDREDS of passengers have been arrested on suspicion of being drunk on a plane or at an airport in the past two years, figures have revealed.
At least 273 people were held in 2017 and 2018, police statistics show.
Cases include a drunk passenger accused of fighting with someone while on board a plane and a man allegedly shouting and swearing at a pilot.
Alleged incidents at airports include a man brandishing a knife at customer service staff at Aberdeen airport after he was refused travel, and a man punching a bar manager at Glasgow airport who would not serve him any more alcohol.
The figures come as the Government considers scrapping roundthe-clock drinking in airport bars by extending high street licensing laws, which would mean no alcohol before 10am.
The Home Office launched the review last month, with a threemonth call for evidence. The sale and supply of alcohol at international airports in Northern Ireland and Scotland are outside the scope of the consultation.
They are regulated under the Licensing (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 and the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.
A spokesman for Airlines UK, the trade association for UK airlines, said: “The problem of disruptive behaviour has got progressively worse over a number of years, despite the best efforts of industry to tackle it.
“There is no evidence to suggest these incidents won’t persist without the active involvement of government.”
Figures obtained following Freedom of Information requests show 48 people were arrested on suspicion of being drunk on an aircraft in 2017 – and 42 so far this year.
Passengers convicted can face a fine or up to two years jail.
In the police force areas that gave information, a further 104 arrests were made relating to alleged drunkenness at airports in 2017, with 68 this year to date.
South Yorkshire Police did not specify whether its 11 recorded incidents took place on aircraft or at an airport.
The true numbers will almost certainly be higher as forces including the Metropolitan Police, which covers the UK’s busiest airport Heathrow, and Sussex Police, which handles incidents at Gatwick, did not provide figures. The ages of those detained around the UK ranged from 17 to 61.
A Government spokesman said: “Most UK air passengers behave responsibly but any disruptive or drunk behaviour is entirely unacceptable.
“The Government is already working with both airports and airlines to identify further ways to tackle the problem of drunk and disorderly passengers as part of our new UK Aviation Strategy.”