Jet2 has today announced that, from Monday, it is going to ban the sale of alcohol on flights to certain destinations before 8am in a bid to crack down on booze-related incidents.
Lord Ahmad, the new aviation minister, last week said he would examine the way alcohol is sold at airports, following a spate of incidents on planes involving drunk passengers. He also pledged to ensure the way in which unruly travellers are stopped from going through airport departure gates is "fit for purpose".
Recent police statistics show hundreds of passengers were arrested on suspicion of being drunk on a plane or at an airport in the last two years. Figures obtained following freedom of information requests showed at least 442 people were held between March 2014 and March 2016.
Jet2 has become the first airline in Europe to respond with proactive preventive action, and passengers flying to the likes of Ibiza, Majorca and Amsterdam could all be affected. The move, due to be introduced next week, will be in effect across all the companies bases, including Birmingham, Majorca, Amsterdam and Ibiza. Jet2.com is also calling for airports and retailers to follow its lead to "trade responsibly" and similarly ban alcohol sales before 8am.
The airline also wants industry partners to support their call for fully sealed bags for alcohol purchased in airports to further stop the consumption of personal alcohol before and during flights.
Phil Ward, managing director of Jet2.com says: "We have decided to follow up very quickly on comments made last week, by taking positive action to allow the millions of customers and families who fly with us to travel with confidence and have a great experience with Jet2.com. We believe that stopping sales of alcohol before 8am on our morning flights is an effective way to ensure everyone has an enjoyable and comfortable journey. We understand that we’re the first of the European airlines to take this bold step and call upon industry partners in airports to also trade responsibly."
The announcement further supports the airlines’ ‘Onboard Together’ campaign which aims to reduce incidences of disruptive behaviour on its flights.
14 comments
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Daver, very impressive all those languages (I assume spoken rather than written, given your use of English below) and very humble of you to tell everyone.
Wolfgang. Are you now attacking people from the north east only. I'm sure there will be plenty of people elsewhere in the north of England that would. Love to meet you. I do hope that you attempt to speak the language when in Mallorca. Us Northerners just point and grunt. By the way. This northerner lived and worked in northern Mallorca, speaks fluent Spanish and Catalan as well as a few other languages. My best is Anglo Saxon.
Actually I dont mind people from North east England, but mainly because I find them incomprehensible, so I have no clue what they are saying!
I really don't believe the racist and xenophobic remarks from Wolfgang. I feel he is a very unhappy sad person. If he does it to provoke a response then he is has a very empty life. I don't know how he manages to get through a day being surrounded by many nationalities. he must go to bed and have nightmares.
Wolfgang. Are you serious. Its mainly Northerners. I seriously hope that your comment was simple meant to provoke a response. I'm north west born and bred. I know live in the Highlands. I would be happy to make a sandwich board containing your comments. I would also love to meet you in one of the northern great cities. Once there I'll let you wear the board, sit back, and enjoy the view. Get a life, get your facts right.
I have a better idea. Its mainly northerners who dont know how to behave properly. Jet 2 is a northern airline, so well done them. Bit a simpler solution would be to only let Southerners fly to Mallorca. That way we kill 2 problems reported on this website in one go. Namely higher spending quality tourism would increase and air rage cases would go down. Win win for everyone, including Blackpool for the stay at home northerners!
Using Jet 2 (and others) to fly to palma this year...it takes an hour for the trolley wirh drinks to come round anyway...so that wiuld be after 8am...but although a start the damage is done in the airport.....
People who are a nuisance on flights become drunk in the airport bars. So this will not make a difference. Stop drunks boarding with the help of a breathalyser would be a better answer.
Actually, it should be illegal for anybody to have alcohol in their blood on a flight or a cruise. Having normal reactions in the event of a forced landing, ditching or using lifeboats, is just as important as a seat belt or safety vest surely.This move by Jet2 is flawed, and nonsense really.
Very good first step, next one is not allowing passengers who are drunk on the plane at the boarding gates You can ban alcohol on the plane but that does not stop these morons to get fuelled up before leaving Every suspicious conduct at the boarding gate should be sorted aswell