The boss of Wetherspoon has hit back after Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary called for airports to limit flyer’s boozing.
O’Leary labelled Ibiza the “worst” hotspot for disorderly passengers, sparking urgent calls for action to address the increasing issue by demanding that airports enforce a two-drink limit before boarding.
The no-frills carrier has noted a worrying surge in rowdy behaviour due to alcohol and drug use, with cabin crew flagging it as a prime concern.
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However, Sir Tim Martin, who has pubs in six British airports, hit back. He said: “We’ve had no complaints about our pubs from the airport authorities or airlines in recent years. Years ago we stopped ‘shooters’ at airports. Ryanair in contrast offers a discount on Irish whiskey if a double is ordered.”
(Image: Tiktok/@tommymason12)
Mr Martin said alcohol sales accounted for only a third of sales at his airport pubs over the past month. Mr O’Leary had said: “We don’t allow people to drinkdrive, yet we keep putting them up in aircraft at 33,000ft. Now passengers are also on tablets and powder and you get more aggressive behaviour.”
O’Leary pointed out that flights to sun-kissed destinations such as Ibiza have witnessed a worrying spike in aggressive antics because of the substances.
“Ibiza is by far and away the worst destination for it,” he emphasised, acknowledging the acute nature of the issue on these flight paths.
(Image: PA)
Assaults are now an all-too-common occurrence, handled by Ryanair crews weekly, not just on Ibiza flights but also on others, reports the Express.
Similar disturbances have been reported on services linking Greek islands with UK regional hubs such as Liverpool, Glasgow, Manchester, and Edinburgh.
In response, Ryanair has initiated actions including baggage checks to hinder alcohol smuggling onboard.
Nevertheless, the problem extends to routes involving Ireland and Germany as well.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Ryanair’s Director of Inflight Sinead Quinn agreed, observing that the offenders are sometimes “the people you least expect.”
As Ryanair contends with both the rising passenger misbehaviour and the fallout from the global IT failure that threw air travel into turmoil, Mr. O’Leary has voiced his concerns. He shared: “I think we can never say there won’t be another one.”
Furthermore, he revealed his constant concern stating: “We live in a digital age and I live in fear all the time about my reservation system crashing or digital payments going wrong… everybody’s business, everybody’s experience on a daily basis is at the mercy of these major IT providers.”
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