Ryanair boss calls for two-drink limit at airports

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

Ryanair boss calls for two-drink limit at airports

Aeroplane passengers should be restricted to two drinks at airports, Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has said.

Mr O'Leary said introducing alcohol limits at airports would help tackle a rise in disorder on flights.

Violent outbursts are occurring weekly due to alcohol, he said, especially when it is mixed with other substances.

"We don't want to begrudge people having a drink," he told the Daily Telegraph, external.

"But we don't allow people to drink-drive, yet we keep putting them up in aircraft at 33,000ft."

Airport catering businesses may take a different view (perhaps calling for a MINIMUM of 2 drinks per person  ).  Of course, comparing a drink-driver to an aircraft passenger is naughty - he should compare a car driver to the pilot (who already cannot drink) or the flight passenger to the car, coach or train passenger

[Witham Bobby]

Being on a flight when other passengers go beyond "boisterous" and into "obnoxious" is double plus ungood

Diverting to put them off the flight at the next available airport gives relief from the over-rowdyness, but just causes inconvenience to everyone else on board.  But not putting them off the flight obliges everyone to put up with it.

I remember that licensees would not serve anyone who was intoxicated.  Seems observance of this law has gone out the window

[Timmer]

I really don’t get this strong desire to consume alcohol at an airport at 5am in the morning. Can’t it wait until they’ve arrived at their holiday destination?

[ChrisB]

It's the same psychology as for travelling to footie! Need to be plastered prior to arrival.

But the airlines can control this by simply refusing access to their flight if too drunk. Have you ever seen anyone turned away?

[eXPassenger]

One of the problems is that alcohol has a greater effect on the human body at lower air pressure as found in an aircraft cabin.

[Chris from Nailsea]

That's exactly ChrisB's point: all you need is a burly G4S person (other providers of security services are available) to take the inebriated potential aircraft passenger aside and tell them, "You cannot board this flight because you are under the influence of alcohol". 

The rest of that: details as to any breath test, blood test, or whatever, can be argued later: meanwhile, all of the other passengers have not had their flight disrupted.

[JayMac]

If that's what Mr O'Leary wants then the same limit should apply on board. Can't see him agreeing to that profit denting move though.

That said, at €6.25 (£5.27- equivalent to £9.07 a pint) for a 330ml can of beer on Ryanair, I'd limit myself to none. That price may go some way to explain why folk have a pint or three before boarding their Ryanair flight.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Sam Fox threatened to knock officer's teeth out


Samantha Fox was suffering from "severe anxiety" at the time, a court heard

Former model and singer Samantha Fox threatened to knock out a police officer's teeth after being removed from a British Airways plane, a court has heard.

Fox has pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly during the incident, which stopped the London Heathrow to Hamburg flight from taking off on 3 December.

Julianna Belinfante, prosecuting, told Uxbridge Magistrates' Court that flight staff had been made aware that Fox was was seen "walking and behaving strangely and was slurring her words, and staff could smell alcohol on her".

The 58-year-old was fined £1,000 and given a 12-month community order, including up to 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Fox, who also admitted using threatening behaviour, causing harassment, alarm or distress to a police constable, began "behaving in a confrontational manner" towards her wife, Linda Olsen, while on the plane.

After the former model began "rocking back and forth in her chair, headbutting the seat in front of her" the decision was made to return to the gate, the court heard.

Police were then called to remove her from the plane.

Ms Belinfante said she was described by officers as "rude and argumentative" and was "verbally abusive" towards them as she was escorted from the airport.

Alastair Smith, who represented Fox, said his client had bought two drinks at the airport to "calm her nerves" as she was "suffering from severe anxiety".

A charge of assaulting her wife on the flight was dropped by prosecutors.

Mr Smith said: "She shouldn't have taken any flights as she was not in a fit state to do so. She should have cancelled her commitments, but it is not in her character to do so."

The flight, which was carrying 162 adults and four children, was delayed by 12 hours until 07:30 the next day, with 42 passengers claiming compensation, the court heard.

Fox was also ordered to pay £1,718 to British Airways, the sum the airline said it had lost as a result of the incident.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Given the price of a pint at the Heathrow Spoons this summer, I'm amazed anyone has more than two drinks in the first place...

[Fourbee]

A new Wetherspoons has opened at Waterloo today:
https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/news/new-pub-opening-the-lion-and-the-unicorn/

Thought I'd compare the cost of a guest ale in some of their London termini from their app:
Cannon St:   £4.49
Liverpool St: £4.97
St Pancras:   £4.97
Victoria:       £4.97
Waterloo:     £4.79

and a Greene King IPA (not what I would go for, but they all stock it):
Cannon St:   £3.44
Liverpool St: £3.44
St Pancras:   £3.44
Victoria:       £3.44
Waterloo:     £3.29

I believe the lowest tariff for a guest ale nationwide is £2.63 (except during beer festivals).

[JayMac]

For comparison, all the ales at Heathrow, airside, are £5.05. Draught lagers and ciders range from £5.50 to £7.40.

Still noticeably cheaper than Mr O'Leary's onboard offerings.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Again, purely for comparison purposes - although I do accept that we're not an airport, although within a few miles of one:

My local Wetherspoons in Nailsea sold me a good pint of guest ale recently for £2.60.