Airport drinking faces last orders as minister plans review
AEROPLANE passengers should be prevented from drinking too much before they board flights to stop families going on holiday feeling intimidated, a minister has said.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the new aviation minister, said he wants to review licensing controls in airports, which currently allow pubs, bars and restaurants to sell alcohol at all hours because they are not subject to normal licensing laws. The Conservative peer said he does not want to “kill merriment altogether” but he is concerned that the current controls may not be “fit for purpose”.
Lord Ahmad said: “If you’re a young family travelling on a plane you want to go from point A to B, you don’t want to be disrupted.
“I think it’s important that passengers who board planes are responsible and have a responsibility to other passengers,” he continued. “In terms of specific regulations of timings of outlets [which sell alcohol] and how they operate, clearly I want to have a look at that.”
He added: “I want to certainly look at what more can be done in terms of making aviation a very attractive sector for all, so whether you’re a businessman making travelling arrangements or you’re a family planning a holiday, you can do so… knowing that once you board the plane it’s going to be an environment in which you’re going to be safe and secure.”
His comments came as airlines, retailers, police and airports announced a crackdown on “disruptive” passengers which will see unruly travellers forced to pay for
damage they cause as well the cost of any delays and diversions resulting from their behaviour.
The worst offenders will face travel bans, while airlines have vowed to take steps to stop people from drinking duty-free alcohol on board aircraft. Alcoholic drinks purchased from dutyfree retailers will have to be kept in “tamper proof ” bags and stored in separate locations on aeroplanes.
The new guidelines have been signed by airlines including Easyjet, Flybe, Jet2, Monarch, Thomas Cook, Thomson Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
Some airlines are also considering introducing entirely “dry flights” on services, or restricting the number of drinks served, if cabin crew have concerns about passenger behaviour.
There is mounting concern about “air rage” after a rise in cases of midflight disruption, some of which have led to emergency landings. Figures released under freedom of information laws showed at least 442 people were held after incidents on aeroplanes between March 2014 and March 2016.
In February this year six men on a stag party were arrested by German police after a mid-air brawl caused a Ryanair flight from Luton to Bratislava, Slovakia, to divert to Berlin.
An incident in May involved a female passenger punching an easyJet pilot in the face after being ordered off an aircraft before it took off at Manchester.
However Lord Ahmed’s comments were dismissed as “nannying” by critics. Graham Stringer, a Labour MP on the Transport select committee, said: “My instinct is that there are already rules and if people fancy a drink at the start of their holidays then why shouldn’t they have one?
“It sounds to me like nannying and I think he’s looking for something to do. There are perfectly adequate rules to stop anti-social and drunken behaviour.”
The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, which represents airline pubs and restaurants, rejected the suggestion that their rules should be reviewed. Kate Nicholls, the head of the association, said: “Airport retailers have staff who take responsibility for how much alcohol they serve people.”