Airports blame Ryanair for proposed ban on alcohol sales

AIRPORTS have criticised proposals that could stop them serving alcohol to holidaymakers early in the morning.

A report by the Institute of Alcohol Studies recommended applying the Licensing Act to airports, allowing time restrictions to be imposed.

Airports accused the authors of pandering to the “vested interests” of Ryanair, which supports a change to stop the sale of alcohol in airports in the early morning and after 11pm. Airports are exempt from the legislation but the Government may change this to reduce disruption by drunk passengers.

Francois Bourienne, chairman of the UK Travel Retail Forum, which represents 18 UK airports, said the institute was “copy-pasting what Ryanair wanted to say”.

“If people can’t drink before a certain time in the airport they’re going to drink in the aircraft,” he said.

He warned that the plans could hit sales of premium whisky as US tourists would be prevented from buying the spirit as a gift or souvenir.

The Home Office is due to launch a consultation on extending the Licensing Act after a House of Lords select committee recommended that the exemption be removed.

The IAS said that arguments from all parties “were awarded the same consideration without preferential treatment for any one stakeholder group.”

Diarmuid Ó Conghaile, Ryanair’s director of public affairs, said that a “small number of passengers” were causing “disturbance and disruption to others. Problems do not arise from the sale of alcohol on board.”