Michael O’Leary, the boss of Ryanair, has come up with a new idea to make flights safer and more pleasant: limiting passengers to just two alcoholic drinks. Why? Because there has been a recent rise in bad behavior among passengers, often caused by too much drinking or drugs.

What’s Causing All This Trouble?

Over the summer, Ryanair saw a “spike” in disruptive behavior from passengers. People were getting on flights with too much alcohol already in their system, causing all sorts of chaos. One of the worst-hit destinations was Ibiza, known for its party atmosphere. On one Ryanair flight from Manchester to Ibiza, things got so out of hand that the plane had to be diverted to Toulouse, France, to deal with a group of unruly passengers.

Michael O’Leary spoke to Sky News about the issue and said he would be “happy” to introduce a two-drink limit on his planes. But there’s a catch—he wants the same rule to be applied to airport bars as well. “If the price of putting a drink limit on board the aircraft is putting a drink limit on the airport, we’ve no problem with that,” he said.

Why Limit Drinks?

Mr. O’Leary explained that the real problem starts at the airport. Passengers often begin drinking heavily before they even get on the plane, especially when there are long delays. This summer, there were a lot of air traffic control delays, leading to more time spent waiting—and drinking—at the airport. Once people board the plane, they’re already tipsy or even drunk.

He added, “If we see that someone is drunk, we don’t serve them alcohol on board. But that doesn’t really solve the problem. The issue is stopping them from getting drunk before they even get on the plane.”

Growing Ryanair Amid Challenges

Despite these challenges, Ryanair is still growing. Speaking before the airline’s annual meeting in Dublin, Mr. O’Leary told shareholders that the company is on track to increase its passenger numbers by 8%, reaching 200 million this year. This growth is happening even as the airline deals with disruptive passengers and other issues, like problems with air traffic control at some airports.

Blaming Air Traffic Control Problems

Mr. O’Leary also took the opportunity to criticize Martin Rolfe, the boss of Nats, which is the air traffic control service for many of the UK’s biggest airports. He thinks Mr. Rolfe should be fired because of the many problems at Gatwick Airport. “He’s shown over a number of years that he’s not doing his job well,” Mr. O’Leary said.

He continued, “These problems keep happening every summer. It’s not okay for someone who keeps failing to stay in his job. He should be dismissed.”

Nats responded by saying that the issues at Gatwick last summer were caused by a rare set of technical problems and that they have taken steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again. In a letter to a parliamentary committee, Mr. Rolfe called Ryanair’s approach “abrasive” but also apologized for the disruption.

Brexit and the Future of UK Politics

In addition to talking about drink limits and air traffic control, Mr. O’Leary also shared his thoughts on the UK’s political scene. Previously, he had said that Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, “couldn’t be any worse” than the current government. Now, he thinks Sir Keir is starting to settle into his role but it’s still early days. “At least he has a big majority,” Mr. O’Leary said, “and you don’t have the kind of Tory drama going on.”

He also commented on Brexit, calling it “a disaster for the UK economy” and suggesting that the UK should align more closely with European Union rules. He stated, “It’s good for the UK and it’s good for Europe. I don’t think anyone wants the UK back in the EU, but Europe is still the UK’s biggest market by a large margin.”

Mr. O’Leary criticized the people who led the UK out of the EU, saying, “The Brexiteers have failed to deliver any of the trade agreements they promised at the time of Brexit… Most of them have left the stage despite being in charge when they delivered their shambolic hard-deal Brexit.”

What’s Next for Ryanair?

Ryanair is not just sitting back and letting these challenges get the better of them. The airline is pushing forward with its plans to grow, aiming to carry even more passengers this year. They’re also considering new ways to tackle the problem of disruptive passengers, like the proposed drink limit.

Whether or not this two-drink rule will come into effect remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure: Michael O’Leary is not afraid to speak his mind or make bold suggestions to keep his airline running smoothly.