Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, urges restrictions on alcohol sales in airport departure lounges to combat disruptive passenger behavior on flights. He specifically targets early morning service in airport bars, which currently face fewer licensing constraints than other venues.
O’Leary’s Call for Stricter Rules
O’Leary, who has led Ryanair for over 30 years, highlights the growing issues linked to pre-flight drinking. He questions the logic of serving alcohol at 5 or 6 a.m., stating: “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? There should be no alcohol served at airports outside licensing hours.”
For years, O’Leary has pushed for a two-drink limit per passenger and vows to sue disruptive individuals to recover costs from flight diversions.
Rising Flight Disruptions
Ryanair experiences nearly one disruption daily, often fueled by a mix of alcohol and drugs. O’Leary notes a shift in behavior: “In the old days if somebody had drunk too much, they get on board, they fall asleep. You have a combination of drink and drugs—they want to fight somebody, they’re hyper. We and all the airlines are having enormous problems. And the women are as bad offenders as the men in this.”
He warns that governments will only act after a major accident: “Until somebody creates an accident that causes a plane to crash and kills hundreds, no government will take this problem seriously and airlines are tearing their hair out.”
Costs of Diversions and Legal Pushback
Flight diversions incur hefty expenses, including extra fuel, airport handling fees, and passenger accommodations. Last year, Ryanair claimed £12,500 from a passenger who forced a Dublin-to-Lanzarote flight to divert to Porto.
O’Leary told Sky News: “If passengers continue disrupting our flights, we will sue you for the cost of those diversions and those disruptions. We’re having two or three of these diversions a week.”
A Ryanair spokesperson emphasized the need for regulatory change: “It is time that EU authorities take action to limit the sale of alcohol at airports. We fail to understand why passengers at airports are not limited to two alcoholic drinks (using their boarding pass in exactly the same way they limit duty-free sales), as this would result in safer and better passenger behaviour on board aircraft, and a safer travel experience for passengers and crews all over Europe.”
