Travellers face crackdown on round-the-clock drinking at airports

ROUND-THE-CLOCK DRINKING in airport bars could be banned as part of a crackdown on drunken behaviour by travellers.

The Home Office has launched a review into whether to extend high street licensing laws into departure halls, which would mean no alcohol before 10am.

Under current rules, drink sales beyond security gates at international airports in England are unregulated by these laws.

Critics say this has contributed to an increase in drunken behaviour by some travellers.

A survey by the Unite union of 4,000 cabin crew found that 87 per cent of staff from British-based airlines witnessed drunken passenger behaviour at UK airports or on flights from UK airports in August last year.

The inquiry follows a House of Lords Select Committee recommendation that airside outlets should comply with the same licensing rules as elsewhere.

Home Office minister Victoria Atkins said: “Most UK air passengers behave responsibly when flying, but any disruptive or drunk behaviour is entirely unacceptable. “This Government is committed to ensuring that the travelling environment for airline passengers remains safe and enjoyable.”

Karen Dee, chief executive of the Airport Operators’ Association, claimed work by the aviation industry to tackle excessive alcohol consumption was already “having an impact”.

But Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, the trade association for UK airlines, said licensing laws must be applied airside as the problem of disruptive behaviour has got “progressively worse over a number of years, despite the best efforts of industry to tackle it”.