Ritika Janiya
Tim Martin, JD Wetherspoon chief, is against the proposal on the limitation of alcohol sale at airports. The opposition comes after the suggestion was made by the CEO of Ryanair, Michael O’Leary. Michael O’Leary argued that there should be a tighter control over the drinking ahead of flying in order to reduce unruly behaviour on board.
O’Leary suggested passengers should be restricted to just two drinks before flying. He says incidents of bad behavior-such as fighting and shouting-have been on the rise and blames too much drinking before take-off as a major cause. He said alcohol-especially mixed with other substances-has been involved in many of the disturbances. “We don’t let people drink and drive,” he said, “so why do we let them get drunk and fly at 33,000 feet?
O’Leary went on to say it was hard for airlines’ staff to pick out drunken passengers before they board flights, particularly when they are part of a group. “As long as they can stand up and shuffle, they get through,” he said. “But once the plane is in the air, that’s when the trouble starts.” Tim Martin, however does not believe such a plan is what O’Leary needs. He said his Wetherspoon’s airport pubs were not causing the problem.
Martin added that over the recent years, there were “no complaints about our pubs from the airport authorities or airlines.” According to him, Wetherspoon’s pubs in airports already do their measures against excessive drinking. For instance, they stopped serving “shooters” or shots of alcohol and “double-up” offers where customers pay a bit more for a double shot at their airport outlets several years ago.
He also brought up another difference between Wetherspoon’s practice and that of Ryanair: “While we have stopped selling strong drinks like shooters, Ryanair offers discounts on Irish whiskey if you order a double.” What Martin means to say is that airports and their pubs are not necessarily the cause of the trouble.
Wetherspoon has a large number of its pubs in airport locations, including three in Gatwick Airport, two in Heathrow Airport, and one in Stansted Airport. Most of the Wetherspoon pubs are located beyond the airport security checkpoints, and all have CCTV cameras. Martin stressed that much of the shameful behaviour actually occurs on flights coming into the UK, not at the airport itself.
Yet O’Leary refuses to budge on the issue. He says the two-drink limit will help prevent violence and mayhem onboard flights. He also mentioned four airports-Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, and Edinburgh-where his airline had reported more incidents of problems caused by drunk passengers.
Martin said the two-drink limit would not be much different. He opposed the rules on the basis that they may punish responsible drinkers with little effect on those who are already determined to get drunk. He also said the majority of passengers who enjoy a drink before flying do so responsibly and without incident.
Martin’s comments come as airlines and airport pubs face growing demands to take responsibility for the number of disruptive passengers. While O’Leary and Martin agree that alcohol can play a part in some incidents, the entrepreneurs differ in their suggested way of dealing with the problem.
Due to intoxication on flights, Ryanair has had its fair share of disruptive passengers. According to the chief, “every week”, problems occur, and the airline chief claimed stricter regulations at the airport would minimize in-flight issues. Meanwhile, Martin said his pubs had taken sufficient measures to ensure responsible drinking, and he should not be held responsible for any misbehaviour in the air.
So, the debate continues. Should the rules for airport drinking be much stronger, as O’Leary says, or are the measures in place already enough, according to Martin? With both arguments firmly in place, it has yet to be seen whether new regulations will start taking place or if things will remain just as they are.
For now, it seems your pre-flight pint is safe—unless, of course, you’re flying with Ryanair, in which case you might want to drink up fast.
Martin’s comments have inspired a larger discussion about how to balance the pleasure of alcohol with the comfort and safety of all passengers. Undeniably, the debate is far from over, but one thing is for sure: the skies are a bit less friendly when people forget to fly responsibly.
