A new poll shows most Brits support Michael O’Leary’s call to axe early morning airport pints to curb unruly behaviour, despite JD Wetherspoon slamming the move
A shock new poll has revealed that the majority of Brits are ready to call time on early morning airport pints, despite a row erupting over pre-flight booze culture. Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary sparked a massive backlash last week when he demanded that airport bars stop serving alcohol in the early morning, claiming breakfast beers are fuelling a surge in aggressive and unruly behaviour on planes.
While his comments drew fire from pub bosses, it seems the British public is actually on his side. A new YouGov poll has found that nearly half of Britons (49 per cent) want to see an end to early pints in the airport.
In contrast, just 37 per cent believe boozers should be allowed to keep the morning measures flowing. The data suggests that the booze ban debate is a generational battleground.
Matt Smith, YouGov’s head of data journalism, said: “Age is the great divider on this most vital of issues. Just a third (34 per cent) of 18-24-year-olds want to ground the breakfast booze, but among the over-65s, two-thirds (66 per cent) are ready to call last orders in the departure lounge.”
The calls for a crackdown come as O’Leary revealed the true scale of the problem facing cabin crew. The Ryanair chief disclosed that the airline is now forced to reroute an average of almost one flight every single day due to poor conduct – a massive spike from just one per week a decade ago.
Speaking to The Times, Mr O’Leary said: “It’s becoming a real challenge for all airlines. I fail to understand why anybody in airport bars is serving people at five or six o’clock in the morning. Who needs to be drinking beer at that time?”
Airport bars beyond security in the UK are currently not required to follow the same licensing hour restrictions that govern high street pubs.
O’Leary believes the loophole is being exploited by airports at the expense of safety. He said: “There should be no alcohol served at airports outside (those) licensing hours.”
He further accused airports of “profiteering” from the chaos, adding: “The ones who are not responsible…are the airports who have these bars open at five or six o’clock in the morning and during delays are quite happy to send these people as much alcohol as they want because they know they’re going to export the problem to the airlines.”
Ryanair has already suggested a two-drink cap per boarding pass to curb the madness. However, the proposals have been met with fierce opposition from JD Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin.
The pub mogul, whose chain operates massive outlets at Heathrow and Gatwick, branded the move a “Big Brother” tactic.
Mr Martin argued that a two-drink limit would be “extraordinarily difficult to implement, short of breathalysing passengers.”
He added: “It would, in our opinion, be an overreaction—especially since many of the problems stem from incoming flights.”
Wetherspoon also pointed out that food and soft drinks make up two-thirds of their airport turnover, arguing that a ban would simply drive passengers to buy duty-free booze from shops to drink in secret before boarding.
While the giants of the industry lock horns, the consequences for passengers remain severe. Being intoxicated on an aircraft is a criminal offence that can land you a £5,000 fine and up to two years behind bars.
Airlines are also increasingly suing passengers to claw back costs. Last year, Ryanair launched a lawsuit against one passenger for 15,000 euros (£12,500) after their behaviour forced a flight from Dublin to Lanzarote to be diverted.
A spokesperson for the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) added: “It is every business’ duty to serve alcohol responsibly, and it is airlines’ duty to ensure their passengers are fit to fly.”
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