The pressure from the travel industry on the British government to honour its pledges made last year to crackdown on fraud and anti-social behaviour is mounting.
Abta is already on the government’s case about outlawing false compensation claims as quickly as possible. The Home Office is now considering reining in airport drinking. It has come under mounting pressure from airlines, travel associations and governments, such as here in the Balearics. There were several alcohol-related incidents at the islands' airports last year.
One involved two drunk tourists who failed to even make it through passport control. They caused such a commotion, which ended up with their assaulting a police officer, that they were held until the next flight home.
An investigation launched by the British government could spell the beginning of the end for the breakfast-time round of drinks at UK terminals. For many holidaymakers it is a bit of a tradition to have a beer or a glass of wine (or more in some cases) before jetting off. But the government is to investigate whether the licensing loophole, which allows airports to sell alcohol 24 hours a day, should be shut. The trade body representing British airlines has welcomed the news that the Home Office may bring fresh measures to bear over concessions in UK airports in a bid to cut the number of incidents caused by excessive drinking.
Currently, airports in the UK are exempt from the Licensing Act 2003, a piece of legislation which places licensing powers as well as the right to impose restrictions on the hours establishments might sell alcohol in the hands of local authorities.
Last year, a House of Lords Select Committee report recommended that "the designations of airports as international airports for the purposes of section 173 of the Licensing Act 2003 should be revoked, so that the Act applies fully airside at airports, as it does in other parts of airports".
The Select Committee cited the apparently rising number of "disruptive incidents" occurring on aircraft and the role of alcohol in them. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) was referred to in the report, with its statistics showing a 36 per cent increase in disruptive passenger incidents between 2014 and 2015. But the more recent figure points to a two-fold increase in the number of "seriously disruptive passengers" between 2015 and 2016.
A spokesman said: "Although incidents of disruptive behaviour are rare in the context of the 268 million passengers travelling from UK airports every year, where they do happen the consequences can be serious. CAA stats demonstrate that the problem is increasing year on year and airline data show that the majority of cases - around 70 per cent - involve alcohol."
14 comments
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it will only work if you ban sales at the duty free shops too
Many people drink to calm their fear of Flying. The " STAG " and " HEN " parties will not stop their inebriated behavior. Those that are selling Alcohol, will not stop. Too many Company's ,including The Flying Carriers, are making lots of profit from Alcohol sales. . I do not think there is an answer, unless very strict rules and banning orders are introduced. Serious fines applied to those causing emergency diverted landings, and barring from Flying again could stop drunkenness..
If the Government are going to go through with this then to me it's good news, but Airlines should also take some responsibility and stop serving alcohol on board their planes!
The British have a very disrespectful attitude to alcohol. It is a legalised drug that has terrible consequences. Actually bars make a higher profit margin on the sale of non alcoholic drinks.
Oliver Reed was always ready for a few "befores" and so goes our Great Country
I travel to Mallorca from Edinburgh 4 or 5 times a year and have done for many years and I have never once seen antisocial behaviour likely to cause offence. I also like a drink early in the morning, why not? While I accept no bad incident should ever be tolerated there are laws and rules in place that should be enforced better. Banning early morning drinking like Jet2 have done is only a token gesture as they know their profits are less affected at that time. They and the airports sell a lot more drink later in the day.
It’s all about profit.The airports will not agree because they sell as much alcohol in the Bars and then simply pass the drunks onto the flights who in 99% of cases let them on the planes.How many times have we seen alcohol served to passengers obviously the worse for drink.Again it’s about profit and meeting targets for aircraft staff.
Its not early morning drink thats the problem, its a few idiots whos body can't handle alcohol, which can also be found on any UK beer street at 4am in the morning.
A limit of two drinks, should be brought in and a chitty with the persons name on it should be printed out at the time of booking or sent out to the passenger if they do not have the internet and the chitty and passport presented when getting a drink,either before boarding or on the aircraft so that non-drinkers or friends can not give their chitty to someone else. Two drinks is roughly the drink drive limit so should be the limit prior to or when on the flight as anyone who has drunk more than this can endanger the aircraft and passengers in the event of an emergency.
Another way these idiots that wish to drink before an early morning flight could be to buy a bottle of sprits in Duty Free, then drink it, or add or say bottles of coke for the flights. I have seen for sale small bottles of sprits in Duty Free. I would also ban the sale of these bottles and anything under 70cl. One drink on the ground is 2 in the air, and people should realise this. Probably, most drunks are just once or twice a year flyers.