Ryanair advocates limiting alcohol consumption to avoid tense situations and altercations that can end up causing delays and diversions
Low-cost airline Ryanair has recently asked the European Union to restrict the sale of alcohol at airports across the region, especially on international flights. The measure comes in response to multiple incidents involving excessive alcohol consumption by passengers, which has led to violent behaviour and altercations on board aircraft.
In its request, Ryanair has highlighted that the situation at some airports, such as those in the archipelago, has become unsustainable. The airline believes that the levels of alcohol consumption before boarding are affecting the safety and well-being of passengers and crew.
According to Ryanair, allowing passengers to consume alcoholic beverages in an uncontrolled manner in airport terminals is one of the "straws that broke the camel's back" of a problem that has been getting worse over time, especially when it comes to interacting with these passengers, who often react aggressively towards ground and flight staff.
According to the Irish airline, this situation has been particularly evident in airports with high tourist traffic, such as those in the Canary Islands, where thousands of tourists pass through the terminals every day. According to the airline's complaint, the combination of alcohol, long waits and the proximity of leisure and holiday flights would be contributing to an increase in incidents on planes, which have led to diversions, delays and which pose a risk on board due to the lack of control of many passengers with alcohol.
Just this weekend, a Ryanair flight leaving Lanzarote for Santiago de Compostela was delayed for 40 minutes after an altercation with a passenger who refused to show his boarding pass and was removed from the plane by the Civil Guard. However, the authorities have not confirmed whether this incident was related to alcohol consumption.
However, the incident (among many others) that was caused by alcohol consumption was the one involving a passenger on board a Ryanair flight that was scheduled to land in Lanzarote and that had to be diverted to Oporto due to incidents caused by boarding while drunk.
The drunkenness caused the airline to claim the passenger's expenses for the diversion, which amounted to 15.350 euros.
Ryanair's proposal is to limit alcohol consumption at airports to a maximum of two drinks per passenger before boarding, as well as the sale of alcoholic beverages during the flight. In this way, the airline aims to reduce incidents and ensure a safe environment for all passengers.
The petition has generated a variety of reactions. On the one hand, several sectors of the air transport industry support the initiative, pointing out that it is a further step towards improving safety and preventing tense situations during flights.
On the other hand, there are voices against it that consider that limiting alcohol consumption would undermine the hospitality businesses present at airports and could negatively affect the experience of passengers who opt for responsible consumption on long or leisure flights. Among the opposing positions are also those who hide behind individual freedom to “defend” the free consumption of alcohol, such as criminologist Beatriz de Vicente, who stated on La Sexta that “You can't stop any citizen from drinking”
