Ryanair CEO Calls for Two-Drink Alcohol Limit at Airport Bars to Prevent In-Flight Violence

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary announced a call for an alcohol limit of two drinks per person at airports due to unruly passengers disrupting the operations of flights.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the CEO of the largest airline in Europe said that such occurrences are happening weekly and increasingly, putting the safety of the flights at risk as well as incurring financial losses due to delays at the airport.

Airports are opposed to changes, saying they do not serve severely drunk passengers. However, Michael added, "They do serve the relatives of the drunken passenger, " possibly implying ineffective airport policies. 

Michael told the Daily Telegraph that,

“We don’t want to begrudge people having a drink. But we don’t allow people to drive. Yet, we keep putting them up in aircraft at 33,000 feet,” he said, adding it was difficult for airlines to identify intoxicated people at the gate, especially when boarding in a group.

As long as they can stand up and shuffle they will get through. Then when the plane takes off we see the misbehavior.”

Michael claims that flights to party destinations such as the Spanish island of Ibiza, and Greek island destinations are the most affected by inebriated passengers. This is probably the reason why Ryanair staff now search passengers' carry-on bags on these flights before they take off.

This call comes after a recent spike in air-rage incidents, most of which involving Ryanair.

In 2023, a British passenger flying from Newcastle to the Spanish island of Majorca was convicted of sexually assaulting a Ryanair flight attendant.

Earlier this year in May, five drunk passengers from Liverpool heading to the Canary Islands on a Ryanair flight were arrested by local police in Tenerife after performing lewd acts in front of young passengers.

Last month in July, a drunken passenger on his way from Manchester to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands caused carnage in-flight, abusing a female passenger and punching parts of the aircraft.