Ryanair CEO urges alcohol limits to curb unruly passengers
Michael O'Leary called for alcohol limits at airports, according to the British press. The Ryanair CEO wants to combat drunk passengers on board. Outbursts of aggression and violence on this airline's planes happen regularly. However, it's also an issue for other airlines.
The issue is being covered by "The Telegraph," BBC, and "Independent." According to O'Leary, passengers should be able to buy "no more than two [alcoholic] drinks" at the airport for their journey to limit antisocial behaviour and violence. He stated that it's a plague.
- We don't want to begrudge people having a drink. But we don't allow people to drink-drive, yet we keep putting them up in aircraft at 33,000ft - said O'Leary.
"Growing trend". Drunk passengers are a problem
Airlines can deny boarding to passengers who show signs of intoxication or misbehave on the ground. The Ryanair CEO notes that it is not always easy to identify intoxicated individuals at the gate, especially when they board as a group. - As long as they can stand up and shuffle, they will get through. Then when the plane takes off, we see the misbehaviour - he emphasized.
In the old days, people who drank too much would eventually fall over or fall asleep. But now those passengers are also on tablets and powder. It’s the mix. You get much more aggressive behaviour that becomes very difficult to manage. And it’s not directed just at the crew. Passengers fighting with each other is now a growing trend on board the aircraft - said O'Leary.
The problem is not only noted by the Ryanair CEO. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) warns that more problematic passengers have been arriving since the COVID-19 pandemic. - The increasing trend of unruly passenger incidents is worrying - said Conrad Clifford, IATA's deputy director general, during last year's World Air Transport Symposium in Istanbul. The three most common categories of offences are:
- failure to comply with regulations and instructions,
- verbal abuse,
- intoxication from alcohol or other substances.
Incidents involving physical violence are still rare. However, between 2021 and 2022, their number increased globally by 67 percent.
