Ryanair pushes for alcohol bans on flights after group’s drunken antics

A SHOCKING series of mid-air incidents has prompted one of the world’s biggest budget airlines to call for an end to one of our favourite travel pastime.

SAVOUR that cold schooner or glass of plonk while you next wait for your flight — it could be the end of an era for our favourite way to pass time at the airport.

A shocking series of mid-air incidents involving boozed-up passengers has prompted one of the world’s biggest budget airlines to call for a crackdown on alcohol served at airports.

Ryanair is pushing for a limit to the number of alcoholic beverages served to passengers at airports, as well as stricter rules around hours of service, Ireland’s RTE reports.

Specifically, it wants to see a two-drink limit for passengers and a total ban on alcohol sales before 10am.

The Irish carrier hopes the move will reduce the number of intoxicated passengers boarding planes.

Ryanair is calling for a two-drink limit and no alcohol served before 10am at airports to limit the number of intoxicated people boarding flights.

The airline’s call came soon after one of its flights from Dublin to the Spanish party island of Ibiza had to be diverted to Paris due to the antics of “disruptive” passengers on board who had been drinking at the airport before departure, according to the Irish Sun.

A group of up to 20 holiday-makers were involved in the unruly alcohol-fuelled disturbance and three passengers were arrested by French police when the plane landed at Paris’s Beauvais airport.

The flight was delayed by more than two hours and 40 minutes.

Ryanair spokesman Robin Kiely told the Sun the incident was “exactly why we are calling for significant changes to prohibit the sale of alcohol at airports, such as a two-drink limit per passenger and no alcohol sales before 10am”.

“It’s incumbent on the airports to introduce these preventive measures to curb excessive drinking and the problems it creates, rather than allowing passengers to drink to excess before their flights.”

Mid-air incidents involving alcohol have triggered Ryanair’s calls for a crackdown. Picture: AFP/Philippe Huguen

In another recent incident involving booze on a Ryanair flight, a father-of-two sexually assaulted a passenger and flight attendant, and shoved another cabin crew member, after drinking half a bottle of vodka and four ciders at the airport.

Robertas Bajalis, 30, originally from Lithuania, accepted “full responsibility” for his actions on the flight from Riga, Latvia to Manchester, UK when he faced court in April, the Manchester Evening News reported.

The court heard he first disturbed a passenger about 30 minutes into the flight, and then

assaulted a male flight attendant.

Then, he grabbed the breast of a fellow passenger, before grabbing the backside of a female flight attendant.

He was handed a two-year suspended sentence of right months in prison, ordered to sex offender registry, and pay $1800 in fines and compensation.