6 in 10 tourists have flown with drunks
ALMOST two-thirds of holidaymakers have been forced to share a plane with drunk passengers following a surge in bad behaviour, a report has revealed.
It found that 51 per cent of British adults who fly believe there is a serious problem with excessive alcohol consumption.
More alarmingly, 60 per cent have had to share a plane with drunk passengers, the Institute of Alcohol Studies poll found.
However, only a minority (24 per cent) drink alcohol at the airport, with just 2 per cent consuming four drinks or more. It is a criminal offence to be drunk on a plane.
Last night, the Civil Aviation Authority called for more prosecutions against violent and drunken airline passengers.
It received more than 200 incident reports in the year to July 16, and 417 complaints in total last year – up from 98 in 2013. Richard Stephenson, of the CAA, said: ‘Criminal charges should be brought against offenders more often to act as a deterrent.’
Licensing laws which prevent the sale of alcohol outside permitted hours do not apply at UK international airports.
Eighty-six per cent of passengers want the same laws to apply to shops and bars in the airport, according to the poll. And 74 per cent support a ban on consuming alcohol bought at duty-free before a flight.
The Department for Transport is considering a range of measures to tackle the problem. A Home Office spokesman said: ‘We will shortly issue a call for evidence to assess the impact an extension of the Licensing Act to airside premises at airports in England and Wales could have on reducing alcoholrelated disruptive passenger behaviour.’