A passenger on my flight drank his duty-free booze. The crew zip-tied him

A few years back, high over the Indian Ocean on an Air India flight from Delhi to Sydney, a fellow passenger slipped into the toilet cubicle and gargled most of his duty-free booze. When he reappeared in the row behind me, he was cheerful and chatty, sharing his views on life with all and sundry.

He wasn’t aggressive, just sociable, but the cabin crew weren’t taking chances. They zip-tied his wrists to the armrests, later removing him to the rear of the aircraft. When we landed in Sydney all on board had to remain seated for some time while security came on and removed him.

Crew will apply rules for appropriate service of alcohol to limit drunken behaviour on flights, but it can be difficult to tell when someone’s had enough.Credit: iStock

Disruptions, delays and even diversions to offload drunk and aggressive passengers became a problem in the skies long before 2008, when Naomi Campbell was dragged off a British Airways flight, kicking and screaming and under the influence, according to some reports. Subsequently charged with assaulting a police officer during the diva meltdown, she was later banned from all BA flights.

The airlines most affected by drunk passengers are European low-cost carriers EasyJet and Ryanair. In April 2024, a Ryanair flight from Dublin to Lanzarote in Spain diverted and landed at Porto after a kerfuffle caused by a drunk and unruly passenger. Since the crew were at the tail end of their maximum working hours, they and the flight’s 160 passengers spent an unplanned night in Porto, costing Ryanair more than €15,000 for accommodation, food and sundry charges. The airline subsequently sued the passenger for all costs.

Ryanair has had enough of drunk and disorderly passengers, and in January this year it went one step further, petitioning the European Union to impose a two-drink limit at all European airports. In a statement, the airline said: “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.”

Ryanair pushed for a two-drink limit at airport bars.Credit: Alamy

The airport bar industry arced up, asking why it should bear the financial burden and become the enforcers charged with denying passengers their legal right to have a drink or five to steady (or otherwise) their pre-flight nerves? Adding fuel to its cause, there is nothing on the table that seeks to curb the bottomless booze supply in airport lounges, where alcohol is served on request – and free.

What does the law say about alcohol service on aircraft?

Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority spells it out clearly and succinctly in a document entitled Your Safety and Behaviour: “It is an offence to enter an aircraft whilst intoxicated, or to be intoxicated on an aircraft. You can’t consume your own alcohol onboard. You can only drink what the cabin crew provides.”

The US’s Federal Aviation Administration says much the same, as does Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority and the European Union’s Aviation Safety Authority.

Passengers who misbehave and cause disruptions to passengers and flights face serious fines. In April 2021, a passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight in California drank his own booze and when told to stop sexually assaulted the flight attendant. As the flight descended into San Diego, the passenger locked himself in a toilet and fired up a spliff. In an ensuing court action, the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration proposed civil penalties of $US40,823 ($64,000) against the passenger.

Airline staff are trained to spot trouble before it happens, but that’s a tough call, and there are no bouncers on board. I once sat next to a fellow traveller on a Qantas flight from Sydney to Darwin who worked his way through five airline-sized mini-bottles of white wine, all served at his request by cabin crew. That’s 187 millilitres a pop, just over 900 millilitres in total, or more than a full-sized bottle.

He wasn’t loud, lewd or lurching. In fact, he was the very model of midair composure. There were no reasonable grounds to refuse to serve him alcohol, but knowing when to turn off the tap is a fine line. Would a sixth small bottle turn him from a well-mannered Dr Jekyll into a raving Mr Hyde monster? Until a passenger becomes abusive and belligerent, and the refusal to serve them further drinks might be the trigger, it could be easier to keep up the flow.

Air France serves complimentary alcoholic beverages, including champagne, in all classes.Credit:

Some airlines charge for alcohol, others are dry

A few airlines have a total ban on the service or consumption of alcohol. Saudia Airlines, the flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, is a dry airline, so too is Kuwait Airways and several other Middle Eastern carriers, along with Royal Brunei in our own region. Some airlines even halt the service of alcohol when they fly over Saudi airspace.

While they might not limit the consumption of alcohol onboard, most airlines around the globe are charging economy class passengers on domestic flights for their alcohol. Fly Virgin Australia and a beer costs $11.50, premium spirits go for $17. Aboard Jetstar, prices for alcoholic beverages range from $9 to $11. On its domestic network, Qantas serves complimentary alcoholic beverages only on selected flights.

While the service of alcohol is generally more liberal on international flights, some apply limits. On long-haul flights, Finnair’s economy class passengers get just one free glass of mild alcoholic beverage, excluding sparkling wine. But on its long-haul flights, Air France serves complimentary alcoholic beverages, including champagne, in all classes. Sante!