More and more “disruptive” passengers
Several European airlines, including Ryanair, have noted a “pic” of “disruptive” passengers on board their planes, “especially this summer. Although we do not know exactly what happened on this flight between Dublin and Lanzarote, a large majority of the disruptions were caused by heavily intoxicated passengers. Certain lines, notably between the United Kingdom and Ibiza or the Greek islands, are particularly affected by this phenomenon. Passengers, sometimes in entire groups, arrive on the plane already very drunk. This summer, there were also a few cases of fights that led to emergency landings.
The boss of the Ryanair group, Michael O’Leary, has repeatedly asked airports to limit the number of alcoholic drinks for travelers to two. “We don’t want to ban people from having a drinkrecently explained the Irish boss to our colleagues at Daily Telegraph. However, it is illegal to drive under the influence and yet we continue to put drunk people on planes at 10,000 meters altitude.”.
These airline passengers that no one wants
According to him, he is “complicated” for airlines to identify drunk travelers at boarding gates, particularly when large groups are to board. “As long as they stand up and move forward, they will pass. It’s afterward, once the flight has taken off, that we notice the inappropriate behavior. Before, people who drank too much would fall or fall asleep. But , now, these passengers are also under the influence of powders or pills. It’s a mixture. We are faced with much more aggressive behavior which is difficult to manage.“.
Ryanair hopes this action will deter further disruptive behavior on flights so passengers and crew can travel in a “comfortable and respectful” environment. “We will apply a zero tolerance policy. This complaint is just one example of the many consequences that passengers who disrupt flights will now face”.
