Should pre-flight drinking be limited at UK airports? Have your say
The founder of Wetherspoons has hit back at calls by Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary to limit alcohol consumption at airports.
Having a few pints before jetting off on holiday has long been seen by some as a pre-trip tradition, but O'Leary recently called for alcohol sales to be limited to two drinks per journey to stop an increase in antisocial behaviour.
He said violent outbursts are occurring weekly with alcohol at least partly to blame, especially when mixed with other substances.
Wetherspoon's Sir Tim Martin criticised the idea and told the Telegraph there had been “no complaints about our pubs from the airport authorities or airlines” in “recent years”, adding Wetherspoons airport pubs no longer serve shots.
But what do you think? Who's right?
Alcohol-related arrests made on planes 'on the increase'
Some police forces have recorded an increase in the number of arrests in airports and on planes. For example, West Midlands Police made 128 arrests at Birmingham Airport in 2021, but this increased to 341 in 2022 and 419 in 2023.
Theft and drunken behaviour were the two most common types of arrests made in 2022 and 2023. Coventry Live, which first reported the figures, said one of the arrests was related to someone being drunk and vaping on the plane and another was for kicking a police officer while intoxicated.
The behaviour of some of the passengers can occasionally be so outrageous it can make its way into the news. In May this year, WalesOnline reported that 30 passengers were kicked off an easyJet flight from Bristol Airport to Malaga for being drunk and disorderly.
The pilot reportedly stopped the plane as it was about to take off as the behaviour of the group of young men got out of control.
The Liverpool Echo reported earlier this year that a drunk mother and son were arrested from a plane that had arrived in Manchester from Antalya after they became threatening to police officers. The police were brought onto the plane after the drunken son threatened to chin one of the flight crew after his drinks were taken from him.
Punish airport louts who can’t handle their drink
The debate between O'Leary and Sir Martin has led others to weigh in on the issue. Writing in The Telegraph, Sean Thomas said limiting the number of drinks would punish the wrong people. He argued an airport should be part of the holiday experience and be the start of relaxing, but they often are not.
He said the chance to have a few drinks before you jet off is the one bit of joy you get in the often crowded labyrinths of modern airports. Limiting the amount of drinks available would only punish sensible people who can handle what they consume while those who wanted to be troublemakers would just intoxicate themselves by other means.
He writes: "The answer is boringly simple. Airports make lots of money from booze, so let them spend some of it on policing – strictly – the behaviour of the lairy minority. Chuck a few boozy louts out of the airport as a stern deterrent. But don’t ruin the fun of the many because of the sins of the few."
