United Kingdom: Airlines To Throw Out Drunkards

You might want to think twice about that next tipple at 34,000 feet... drunk passengers could be banned from flying with airlines for life.

Jet2, which operates 19 flights out of Belfast International Airport, is cracking down on unruly passengers as holiday companies report a "record double figure rise" in disruptive behavior.

UK travel operators are calling for industry-wide measures to tackle the problem as the summer holiday season moves into full swing.

And budget carrier Jet2 has already put new rules in place, saying it will ban disruptive passengers for life.

Managing Director Phil Ward said he had seen passengers swigging from cans of lager at 5.30am in Manchester Airport and was concerned about “pre-loading” before flights.

“The plane is not a nightclub,” he said. “It’s six miles up and going at 500mph so you can’t step outside to get some fresh air.”

The airline says it has "empowered its staff to take decisions quickly" by giving verbal and written warnings to disruptive passengers and will divert the aircraft to the nearest airport to off-load "particularly offensive people" before flying remaining passengers on to their holiday destination.

It will also hand such passengers them over to the police, issue a bill for the cost of any diversion and take legal action post-travel.

"Over the past two years, unruly and disorderly behavior often linked to excessive alcohol consumption prior to embarkation has risen drastically on-board aircraft," the company said in a statement.

"Cabin crew increasingly have to deal with people displaying abusive, racist and often noisy and aggressive conduct, causing misery and disruption for other passengers nearby."

Paul Okia
Happy Tours Africa
happytoursug@gmail.com